Opportunities
by Crayola Color Sky
Summary: Every girl between the ages of 18-24 is given the chance to be a Lady of Opportunity. Eloise knows that every year a wealthy girl from town gets chosen for the honor. She never expects to be chosen, and she's okay with that. She enjoys her life as a school teacher. However, at nineteen, she gets the surprise of a lifetime when a new opportunity arises...
1. Chapter 1

**Surprise! I'm back! (4... 5... 6 years later? How long _has_ it been?) **

**Here's a new story I've written. I really, _really_ like it and am excited for it to continue. I do have a few more chapters written right now, so hopefully I can keep up with this story _for good._ I have 2 kids now, by the way, so if I'm delayed in my postings, that's why. Also, uhh... for the record, it _may_ come off a little bit like _The Selection_ books, but it's purely coincidental. I only realized the similarities after I had written a few thousand words. It's totally an original fairy tale of mine. Give it some time, but magic will come into play eventually.  
**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy Eloise's story. Thanks for reading!**

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"Eloise! Quickly!"

The call rang through the air clear and crisp. A young woman stood at the door of a neatly kept cottage at the edge of the woods. Her black hair was plaited and pinned up prettily, as if for a special occasion. She wore a new, but plain, green dress that matched her eyes. It was the perfect spring day. The sun shone brightly through a thin grouping of clouds while birds flew across the bright blue sky.

The young woman sighed with frustration and stepped out of the house to look around.

"Eloise!" she called out again. "Where are you? Come! We're going to be late!"

Suddenly a small girl came running from the woods. "Coming! I'm coming, Mama!"

The young woman smiled. "There you are. Let's get you dressed. If we hurry, we won't miss anything."

The child skipped giddily into the house. "Look what I made you!" her mother said, holding up a pretty green dress that matched her own.

Eloise clapped her hands with glee and squealed. "Oh, it's lovely! I will look just like you!" She quickly changed out of her worn day dress and her mother helped her into the new one. The two then went to the kitchen where Eloise sat down at the table.

"Mama, do you think that someday I could be the Lady of Opportunity?"

Her mother smiled as she grabbed a comb to tame her daughter's curly chestnut locks. "Anything is possible, dear. You need only imagine it."

"Did you ever wish you were chosen?" Eloise asked.

"Oh, of course I did. It's all I could think about some days. I especially dreamed of having a grand library and reading everything there is to know!" She shrugged and began to braid Eloise's hair. "But if I had, I would have never met your father!"

As if on cue, a tall, wiry man walked into the kitchen. His presence filled the room with joy. He beamed at his wife and daughter. "My girls! Ready for the Festival of Opportunity?" He sat down in a chair across from the suddenly fidgety little girl.

Her mother sighed and said sternly, but not unkindly, "Sit still or I'll have to start all over again!"

"Sorry, Mama," Eloise said. She looked eagerly at her beloved father. "Oh, Papa! You look so handsome."

"Well that's kind of you to say, little duckling. You look very nice yourself." He looked lovingly at his wife. "Your mother looks quite beautiful too, doesn't she? Your dress is beautiful, Anne."

"Oh, Arthur. You're going to make me blush!" Anne patted Eloise's head. "All finished."

Eloise jumped up from her chair. "Can we leave now?"

Her father smiled. "Yes, let's get going! We don't want to miss anything!"

The little family walked the several miles to town, where the whole county seemed to be celebrating. Stalls and carts were set up along the main avenues leading to the main town square. People slipped in and out of shops buying pretty trinkets and treats. Children ran around with noisemakers and pennants. Young couples strolled along casually while the old men and women looked upon the hubbub with contented amusement.

Eloise followed her parents to the town square, where people were gathering to wait for the ceremony. Chatter and laughter filled the air and the three of them found a spot in the center of the square next to the town's large fountain. Everyone was dressed in their finest attire for the event. Eloise was delighted by the overall splendor of the day. Despite their close proximity to the town, her family rarely traveled away from home. They very seldom needed anything from town. Eloise attended a country school barely a mile from home. Arthur farmed with Anne's brothers who lived across the road, and Anne herself was always busy with housework or helping with the farm. Every trip to town was an exciting treat, and today was especially thrilling.

As the town clock struck noon, a hush fell over the crowd and everyone turned to the stage that was set up at the base of the tower. Sitting on the stage in beautifully carved chairs used only for this occasion were three people. In the most ornate of the chairs sat a smiling young woman who looked upon the festival with a peaceful gaze. The man to her left, a stout and jolly man, rose and walked to the podium as the clock finished its chiming.

"Welcome, good people of Ravendale! As your mayor, I am pleased to stand before you on this beautiful day of Opportunity!"

The crowd roared with applause. Eloise pulled on her father's sleeve. "Papa, I can't see!" Arthur chuckled and lifted her up onto the fountain's edge.

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you, Papa!"

The crowd quieted down and the mayor spoke again, this time opening a book from which to read.

"A message from the king himself!" the mayor called out. He cleared his throat and began to read. "'In ancient times, our home was ruled by primitive and unjust kings. They offered no assistance to their people. They treated their subjects as though they were dogs. Our ancestors were forced to endure hard, back-breaking work- only to give the fruits of their labors to the kings and upper class. One common man and his wife rallied the people and overthrew the kings of old to make way for a new way of life for his peers. That man was chosen by the people to become their new king, with his strong and loyal wife by his side.

"'King Rylan and Queen Elsbeth became the new rulers of our homeland, a country they named Rybeth. He then made a promise to our people: no longer will the aristocracy be the only people in charge of our country. Each year, one young, unwed woman from every county shall be chosen to become a Lady of Opportunity. These young women will have status among the elite of our society and will be given the chance to marry an eligible man of high rank. These women shall be the backbone of our aristocracy.'" The mayor closed the book and looked up at the people spread out before him. "Soon I shall announce our county's Lady of Opportunity for this year. First, let us warmly welcome back last year's Lady of Opportunity, Baroness Rowling, with her husband Baron Rowling."

The crowd clapped and cheered as the baroness stood and waved to the crowd, a gesture showing that she had not forgotten her roots as a common girl. She smiled at her husband, who had also stood with her. He did not wave, but smiled at the people and gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

The baron and baroness both sat down and the mayor waited patiently for the crowd to be quiet. It quickly did and he said, "And now I will announce the Committee of Opportunity's decision." He held up a piece of paper, folded and sealed. He then made a show of breaking the seal and slowly unfolding the paper. "After much consideration, this year's Lady of Opportunity is Miss Evangeline March!"

The applause and cheers began from the east of the clock tower, where Miss March's family and friends stood. They cheered with extra enthusiasm as Evangeline began her walk toward the stage. As she ascended the stairs on the stage, Eloise finally caught a good glimpse of Evangeline's face. The young woman looked stunned, and Eloise imagined that she might look the same way if she were to someday be chosen as the Lady of Opportunity.

After Evangeline March had been properly and ceremoniously made the new Lady of Opportunity and the mayor had made the closing remarks, the crowd began to disperse. Eloise and her parents settled down on the edge of the fountain to eat their packed lunch. Anne pulled out sandwiches and an empty jug to fill with water from the fountain.

Eloise sighed.

"What's the matter, little duck?"

"I hope someday I will be chosen as the Lady of Opportunity. The baroness's dress was so beautiful! I'd like to wear fine gowns and marry a handsome baron someday."

Her parents exchanged looks and chuckled softly.

"What?" demanded Eloise. "What's so funny?"

Anne shook her head. "You don't need fancy dresses or a baron to make you happy, my darling Eloise. Someday you will meet a man that will make you feel like a princess. Then you won't need a baron to make you feel special."

The little girl rolled her eyes. "I _know_ , mother. Father isn't a baron and you're happy. I just want to wear a pretty dress someday."

Arthur patted his daughter's head. "Perhaps some day, but for now your mother's beautiful handiwork will have to make due."

Eloise smiled after a moment. "Mother _does_ make beautiful dresses."

"That's right. She's my queen, you're my princess, and our farm is my palace."

"That makes you the king!"

Her mother laughed. "He is our king, certainly, and he truly has a way with his subjects: the cows! Eat up, you two! When we're done we can find the bakery and get a couple sweet rolls."

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 **Thanks everyone for reading! This is just the intro, the rest of the story will be in 1st person. Let me know what you thought in the reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! I hope you all enjoy the first "official" chapter. I'm seriously so excited about this story.**

 **Please review, I would love to hear your opinion and if you have any tips or catch any whoopsies in my writing. I would love to hear some constructive criticism!**

 **Thanks!**

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TEN YEARS LATER

I rushed down the road, trying not to work up a sweat. I loathed being late, and today I was running dangerously close to it. I prided myself on being punctual, a trait passed down from my mother. A gust of wind blew into me and I reached up to grasp at my straw hat before it could blow away.

Except for these windy days, this spring had been especially perfect for planting season. Rain was plentiful for the first time in five years. Our farm had fallen on hard times, despite all our hard work. My father had passed away from a terrible illness just before the drought hit. We tried our best to keep up with the farm until my mother had to ask her brothers for help. Together, we all did our best, but the farm still struggled and we were having a hard time making ends meet.

Once I finished school, I decided to look for employment. We needed any possible extra income. Just months after finishing school, I heard that my teacher was leaving to get married. I eagerly met with the school board and pleaded to be hired. They agreed to hire me until they found a new teacher. After several months and realizing I was perfect for the job, they kept me on.

As I reached the school, I saw two young girls huddled together by the door.

"Good morning, Miss Taylor!" the oldest girl chirped.

"Good morning to you, Matilda- and to you, Margaret." I smiled at the two sisters. "You're here early, as usual."

Margaret, the youngest, said, "We like to help you get ready for the day, Miss Taylor!"

"That's so sweet of you girls. I appreciate it more than you know. It's a delight to see you eager to help every morning."

Together the three of us readied the room for the day. After we completed every task, I reached into my desk where I often kept a stash of hard candies. I gave the girls a sly smile. "I managed to go to town a few days ago and found the most delicious treats. I don't suppose you two would want to share with me, would you?"

Matilda and Margaret both squealed with excitement. "Oh Miss Taylor, do you mean it?"

"As long as you eat them before any other students arrive. Don't tell the others, you're welcome to one sweet each. You girls are such a help and are always so well behaved. You deserve a tiny reward."

Not long after the girls finished their treats, the other students began filing in. Most days they would linger in the school yard to avoid coming in as long as possible. But today the wind forced most of them to take shelter inside the schoolhouse. Soon the room was full of enthusiastic children. I enjoyed watching them interact. They didn't always behave, but I was more often amused than irritated by their antics. It wasn't easy being only a handful of years older than my oldest pupils, but I made the best of it.

I smiled at them, their behavior mostly exemplary. "Quiet down and get seated," I called out as I made my way to the door. "I'm about to ring the bell." At my command, the chatter quieted, but did not stop nor lose enthusiasm. I liked my students and- for the most part- they liked me back. I ducked out of the schoolhouse to ring the bell at the front of the little wooden building. As I reached for the rope on the bell, I saw several students loitering under a tree at the edge of the school yard. "Time for class!" I called to them. I heard audible groans and general complaints, but they ambled up to the school anyway. After they were inside, I rang the bell, the sound clanging across fields and against nearby barns. That had always been one of my most favorite sounds in the whole world, right after Papa singing and Mother working in the kitchen.

As the last of the ringing faded away, I scanned the school yard and road once to make sure no one was left lingering. Satisfied that there weren't any students hiding from me, I turned back to walk inside. However, before I could close the door behind me, I heard a shout, "Miss Taylor, wait!"

I turned around to see a boy running as fast as he could to get to the school. I squinted to see who it was. As he grew closer, I saw that it was Patrick Moore- a relatively smart student, but rarely on time. I hadn't seen him in over a week, which had been unusual for him, despite his regular tardiness. I knew I would have to have a talk with him about it, so I stepped back outside and closed the door so the other students wouldn't eavesdrop.

Finally Patrick reached the school yard, panting. Between breaths he said, "I'm so sorry Miss Taylor. Truly."

I crossed my arms and said, "Patrick, you have been gone almost two weeks now. You cannot skip out and expect a 'sorry' to fix everything."

He nodded. "I know. It's just- well, it's my dad, you see. He's sick. He's been in a terrible state for a while now. You know how it is."

I felt my stern exterior melt away. "I understand. You had to help with the farm. It's planting season. Yes, I know exactly how that is. I'm sorry, I didn't know your father was sick." I sighed. I remembered this well from when my own father fell ill and died. I had missed quite a lot of school at that time too. I was only a few years older than Patrick. I had gone to school with him then, so he remembered that time too. "Is he any better?"

He shook his head. "No. The doctor said he won't be around much longer. I only came to tell you... I'll have to take over the farm now."

I looked at this gangly boy, only sixteen, and felt sympathy for him. Five years ago I was in nearly the same situation. Unlike Patrick, I had uncles and cousins who had taken over for my father. I was a girl after all, and wasn't expected to run a farm at the age of fourteen. I had been able to return to school- Patrick will never be able to come back. He was lucky to have been able to attend this long though. Most boys didn't make it past thirteen.

"I hope you will remember your arithmetic. It's very important to know your sums when trying to keep up with the finances of your farm. Please come see us again if you ever get the chance." I held out my hand for him to shake. He was a good student. He helped keep his peers in line whenever they remembered that I was only nineteen and only had a title to differentiate myself from them.

He took my hand and shook it. I could tell he was nervous about being on his own. Before I could stop myself I added, "If you need any help with the farm, please write to us or come see us at The Grove. I'm sure my uncles could help in some way if you need."

"Thank you, Miss Taylor."

"My pleasure, Mr. Moore." Patrick smiled when I addressed him as such. "Now, get along. I have a class to get back to and you have a farm to run."

He turned and ran back in the direction of his farm. I watched him run off and out of sight before I finally turned my back and returned to the classroom.

When I entered, the room was loud and full of energy again, with the entire class out of their seats. "To your seats!" I called as I made my way back to the front. "I know everyone is eager to have the day be over _already_ , but we need to get working. Tomorrow is the Festival of Opportunity, and we won't be back until next week. Everyone listen, pay attention, and focus. If you do, the day will be over before you know it. Let's get started."

"Miss Taylor, who will be our teacher if you get picked Lady of Opportunity?" called out a voice from the back.

I sighed. I had hoped they wouldn't ask about it. "The chances are slim that it will happen, Rudy. No more interruptions. I assure you, I will be back here on Monday morning, just like usual."

"But Miss Taylor, what if you _do_ get picked?" another voice asked.

"Yeah, who's going to teach us about our sums?"

"And history!"

"Stop!" I called out, a little louder than I intended. The interruptions ceased immediately. Inwardly, I groaned. I knew I would have to give them an answer, so I took a deep breath and told them, "If I am chosen, which is unlikely, you will have Mrs. Gray step in until someone is hired to take my place." A collective moan rose from the students along with some grumbles and sharp complaints. "I know Mrs. Gray isn't your favorite teacher, but she is knowledgable- and will teach you everything you need to know just as well as I can. Now, if that happens, you _will_ treat Mrs. Gray with the respect she deserves. Understood? I will be disappointed if I hear you have acted otherwise."

The students nodded, while still grumbling, but made no further fuss about it.

"Good. Rudy, since you were so eager to speak, please stand up front and tell us about the forming of Rybeth- and why you might lose your so dearly beloved teacher."

He frowned, but stood and began to tell the story that everyone had nearly memorized. Once he was done, he sat down in a huff.

"Why don't they have a Lord of Opportunity?" Matilda asked. "Both the king and queen were commoners, right? So why don't they do this for men?"

"That's a great question. You see, a big reason why is because men are in charge of providing for their families. For example, if any of my cousins had to leave, then my farm would suffer. If Rudy back there has to leave his farm, his father would have no one to take over the farm after he can no longer work." I gestured to myself. "If I am chosen, my farm would still be able to function without me. Does that make sense?"

A few of the students nodded with understanding.

"Perhaps someday the royal family can make some changes. If any of you girls become a Lady of Opportunity, you should use your position to influence things that are important to you. Our school exists because one Lady of Opportunity wanted to make sure all children in the county had access to education. The fountain in the town square was built with funds provided by one of the first Ladies of Opportunity. She wanted to beautify the town square."

"What would _you_ try to influence, Miss Taylor?"

I laughed. "I haven't thought about it, actually. I would probably buy more books for my favorite students to use in school."

"Is that us?!" asked one of the youngest students.

"Of course! Are there any more questions? I would like to get back to our lesson." A hand rose in the back. "Yes, Rudy?"

"How old is the country?"

"Thank you Rudy, that's actually on topic! Class, does anyone else know the answer to that?"

"Is it two hundred?"

"Very good, Ilena, you're close. Our country is two hundred and thirty-one years old. Compared to some of our neighbors, we are a very young country." I pointed to the map on the far wall. "We have a fairly small country, too. Let's talk about why that is and how our ancestors managed to free themselves from the old kings."

I was glad the class had gotten back on track. I glanced at the clock as I explained how the mountains played into our country's formation. We had lost more time than I had wanted, on a topic I didn't want to talk about. To my relief, the topic wasn't brought up again.

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 **So? What did you think? Expect chapter 3 to be up soon. Not long before it gets seriously interesting, I promise!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Look! An early update, just for you!**

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The morning of the Festival of Opportunity was perfect. It was as if the king himself had paid a bribe to Mother Nature for good weather. I stood in my small bedroom, tugging at my fancy dress. I had worn it last year and I will wear it for another five years, or at least until I got married. Mother and Father had saved their money for years to buy the perfect dress for their only daughter. Every eligible young woman wore the most beautifully crafted dress that their family could afford just in case she was chosen as the Lady of Opportunity. Some of the wealthy young women in town could buy a new dress from the dressmaker every year, but most girls, like me, purchased one fine dress and wore it until it was no longer necessary.

I also wore it every time I went in front of the Committee of Opportunity. Each year, every young woman between eighteen and twenty-four were required to visit the committee a month prior to the festival. There they would be interviewed so that the committee could decide which young woman would be the Lady of Opportunity. If a girl chose not to be considered, she had to appear before the committee and ask to be taken off the list. Very few girls chose to opt out of the process, and when they did, it was usually because they were involved with a boy and expecting an engagement.

"Eloise?" Mother called. "Are you ready?"

I sighed. "Coming, Mother." I looked down at myself, frowning. I felt silly in such a frilly piece of clothing. I smoothed the fabric and walked to the kitchen, where she waited. She gave me a proud smile as I entered.

"Maybe this will be our lucky year," she said after I sat down at the kitchen table.

I winced at her hopeful tone. "Maybe."

She gathered my hair and began to twist it. "You know, I'm not just talking about the Festival of Opportunity, Eloise. The drought has left the valley. Your uncles say that the crops are promising and good crops mean good food for the cows. Plentiful food for the cows means they will produce more than enough milk. It's all looking to be in our favor, my dear. You wouldn't have to teach anymore."

"I _enjoy_ teaching."

"I know, I know. When I was your age, though, I had just met your father-"

"-and within a year you were married and helping him run a successful farm," I finished. "I know, Mother. I still have a few years before I'm a complete and utter disappointment. Ow!" I gritted my teeth, my locks suddenly tugged at fiercely. "I'm sorry, Mother. I know I should be excited. I have every chance of being Lady of Opportunity, and I would like that. It would help you and the farm tremendously, and give me a life of immense luxury. It's just... I've watched them announce the winner every year and I started to realize that they only pick the more wealthy girls. Every year! Last year Mary Winters was the winner. Her grandfather used to be the mayor! I just want to be happy and not expect anything to happen today, that's all."

Mother sighed. "I know, dear. I can't help but feel excited for you. You used to dream of this day. I miss that sweet nine year-old who would have traded anything to be the Lady of Opportunity."

I smiled, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'm still that little girl, just a bit more realistic."

We fell silent as she continued to work on my hair. We knew what the other was thinking of as the silence progressed. On festival days, we both thought frequently of my father, the comforting presence that would have eased the tension. He used to give us the feeling that there was magic around such a grand occasion. He made _everyone_ feel lucky to be alive. I knew that my father would have kept my spirits and expectations high that day. When I wasn't chosen, he never would have let me or my mother feel disappointed. He would have bought us a sweet roll each and followed us into all the shops we wished to visit until both of us felt better about the day. "I know the tonic to cure all that ails my beautiful women," he'd say whenever either of us felt down.

"All set," Mother said, breaking the silence.

I turned around and looked up at her with a smile. "Thank you."

"I'm just glad I have you to keep me busy," she said lightheartedly. "Let's get going, shall we? We want to get a good spot near the stage."

I nodded and we leisurely made our way to town. As we strolled, I said, "Did you hear that William Moore is ill?"

"No, I didn't. What a shame. Is it serious?"

"I'm afraid so. His son Patrick came to school yesterday after I rang the bell. He said the doctor doesn't think Mr. Moore will be around much longer. Patrick came to say he had to leave school permanently."

"Poor Mrs. Moore. How old is young Patrick now? Fourteen?"

"Sixteen, actually," I answered. "I'm sorry to see him go, but he made it a lot farther than most boys. He was the oldest boy in school."

She nodded. "Mr. Moore, though strict, always felt education was important. It's surprising, actually, because _his_ father took him out of school when he was only ten."

"I'm glad Patrick got the education he did, then. He's smart, he'll do well with their farm."

We fell silent again, but this time it was a much more comfortable silence. As we neared town, we heard the familiar sounds of the festival. We could hear laughter of children and shouts coming from vendors. Musicians scattered throughout the streets played lively tunes on a variety of instruments. We glanced at each other excitedly, our moods instantly lifted.

"Should we get a sweet roll after the ceremony?" she asked.

"Only if I don't get chosen as the Lady of Opportunity," I joked in reply.

We made our way past the bustling stalls and shops to the town square where we found a spot near one of my best friends from school. Tess spotted us and gave us her signature wide, toothy grin. She said something to her aunt and uncle before making her way through the families that separated us.

"Hello, Mrs. Taylor," Tess said, greeting my mother first, as always. Mother smiled. She liked that Tess was always polite, even as a child. Tess turned to me, bursting with excitement. "Eloise, what do you think? This is our year, I can feel it. If I'm not chosen, it had better be you!"

"Same to you," I said as the mayor got on stage and sat in his chair. I quickly changed the subject. "I hope this new mayor does a better job reading the message than old Mayor Miller."

Tess laughed. "No kidding! He was so _dull._ He was a decent mayor, but he sure did know how to put a crowd to sleep. I wish Mayor Winters had lived longer. He was a _wonderful_ speaker." She looked around. "Look! There's Helena. Poor girl. Wearing the same dress as her four sisters wore before her. She looks absolutely humiliated to be in that again. Her hair is stunning as usual, though. Oh! But look at Cynthia's dress. I would _love_ to own something half as elegant."

I smiled as Tess continued her commentary on our peers and, in her words, competition. She knew who everyone was and had all the good gossip. Her aunt and uncle sold vegetables in the market, so she had always had something juicy to share when she came to school. Despite having something to say about _everyone_ , Tess usually never said anything outright nasty. She was a gossip, but not a mean one. As time went on, Tess eventually ran out of commentary and turned to me.

"So, Eloise, how is it going at the school?"

"Great, actually. Yesterday the students were nearly in tears worrying that I wouldn't return. We spent what seemed like half the morning discussing the possibility of me being chosen today."

"How sweet!"

"I would miss them more than they would miss me, I think."

"Surely not! They're lucky to have you and would be devastated to lose you. And anyway, you'd be a Lady of Opportunity. You would have the potential to become someone _important._ Don't you think that's better than being a school teacher?"

"Attention!"

I breathed a sigh of relief as the town bell rang, signaling noon and the start of the ceremony. I was happy to avoid the question Tess had asked, hypothetical or not. The mayor stepped up to address the crowd. I didn't like explaining to people that I wasn't aiming to be a Lady of Opportunity, even if it _was_ Tess. I just wanted to live my life. I was happy with it.

"Welcome, my dear citizens of Ravendale. As your mayor, I am honored to stand before you on this perfect day of Opportunity."

I applauded and cheered with the crowd. Despite not wanting to be chosen, I really did enjoy the festival and ceremony. It was a time to step away from chores and working, after all. I loved my job and my life, but it _was_ nice to take a break like this once a year.

The applause began to quiet and the mayor smiled at the crowd. "I am now going to read to you all a message from the king himself," the mayor called out as he opened up an old book with a cracked spine and crumbling pages. It contained the story everyone in the country had memorized. By now, the book was more of a formality than an actual script to be read.

He cleared his throat and began to read in a monotone that was somehow worse than old Mayor Miller's. Tess groaned. "Oh no. How can he be _worse_?" As I tried to suppress a giggle, my mother shot us a disapproving look.

"'. . . Our ancestors were forced to endure hard, back-breaking work- only to give the fruits of their labors to the kings and upper class. One common man and his wife rallied the people and overthrew the kings of old to make way for a new way of life for his peers. That man was chosen by the people to become their new king, with his strong and loyal wife by his side. King Rylan and Queen Elsbeth became the new rulers of our homeland, a country they named Rybeth."

"I've always thought that seemed so unimaginative. Combining two names into one? They couldn't have come up with something better?" I whispered to Tess.

"I don't know, I kind of like it," she replied with a shrug.

". . . Each year, one young, unwed woman from every county shall be chosen to become a Lady of Opportunity. These young women will have status among the elite of our society and will be given the chance to marry an eligible man of high rank. These women shall be the backbone of our aristocracy.'" The mayor looked up from the book and gave a nervous smile before shutting the book. "Here today is last year's Lady of Opportunity, Lady Flint and her husband Lord Flint." Lady Flint, formerly Miss Mary Winters, stood and waved, just as the Lady of Opportunity always did. She was from town and older than both of Tess and I. We didn't know her at all besides the fact that her grandfather had been mayor. "This year, Lady Flint will be passing on her title, just as the Ladies of Opportunity do every year. In addition to her usual duties, she also has a very special extra task this year. This year, an additional two young ladies will be chosen and awarded two more titles."

At this announcement, a murmur ran through the crowd. Nobody was sure what it meant. Two more titles? Were there three Ladies of Opportunity this year? I looked to Tess to see if she had heard anything, but she just shrugged and shook her head.

The mayor then opened a second book that I hadn't noticed before. This time everyone in the crowd clung to each syllable he spoke. "'This year, two young women from every county will be sent to one of our country's three largest cities. There they will receive new gowns and go in front of a group of officials. Those officials will consider all ladies and choose the top ten to send to one of the royal palaces, where they will learn all that a young woman of the highest rank should know. After two years, the Crown Prince Daniel will then choose one of these young women to be his bride. The remaining twenty-nine women will be given the opportunity to meet other high ranking men from our country and our allies' homes. They will be given every possible option they wish for sacrificing two years of their life to their country.'" He shut the book and the crowd stood in stunned silence. This was an unprecedented move from the royal family. While the Festival of Opportunity was done with the best of intentions, the last time a queen had been of common birth was when Queen Elsbeth reigned over the newly formed country several hundred years ago.

"Without further ado, I will announce this year's Lady of Opportunity," the mayor said, clearing his throat nervously. A man handed the mayor the folded and sealed piece of paper. He didn't make a show of it, like Mayor Winters always had. "This year's lucky Lady of Opportunity is… Tess Smith."

I gasped with excitement and cheered loudly for Tess. She looked stunned at the announcement, a look I recognized from every other Lady of Opportunity. After overcoming the initial shock, Tess ran to her aunt and uncle and hugged them before making her way to the stage. I knew Tess wouldn't mind that she wasn't going to be in the running for the prince's hand in marriage. She would be overjoyed to get away from selling vegetables no matter how it happened. Tess's ceremony was a blur for me. I could remember a dozen other exact same ceremonies. While I was happy for her, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. It wasn't because I didn't win. No, it was because I was losing my best friend. My mother reached over and squeezed my hand, sensing my change in mood. "I know it will be hard to have her leave. I'm sure she'll still visit." I just nodded.

After the formalities were finished, the mayor returned to address the crowd with two more papers in hand. He opened up one paper and said, "Now it is time to announce the two young women from Ravendale who will be sent to Cliffside to represent our valley."

Mother once again squeezed my hand. She looked at me with excitement, though I couldn't tell if it was just general excitement or if she hoped for my name to be called. I just gave a weak smile. I still didn't want to leave my students, my mother, and the farm. My life was in this valley. Everything I grew up with and everything I knew was right here! I didn't need a title. I felt like there was a rock in my stomach. I dreaded being chosen, but I knew I wouldn't reject the chance. Any money my mother might get from it would be far more than double my salary as a teacher.

"Your first representative is Cynthia Warner!"

Nearby, the girl with the fancy new dress that Tess had admired earlier squealed with excitement. She hugged her family and friends as she made her way to the stage as the town square filled with applause. The mayor helped her up and congratulated her. The crowd quickly quieted down before the mayor had to ask. Everyone was eager to know who was next.

"Your second representative is Eliza Toohill!"

The crowd roared again as another beautiful young woman in a fancy dress approached the stage. I lost focus and didn't pay attention after that. I could feel my whole body relax. I was safe from this for another year.

Mother let out a faint sigh next to me, and I couldn't tell if it was from disappointment or relief. She always knew me so well, but I could never quite read her emotions. "Well, I suppose this means I get to keep you for now. I would have missed you dearly if you were gone anyway." She hugged me tight. "I'm glad you're staying," she added.

"Me too, Mother."

Finally the ceremony was over and we began to make our way toward the stage in hopes of wishing Tess farewell. The crowd hadn't dispersed like usual, instead hoping to catch a glimpse of their potential future queen. I tried to at least catch her eye so I could at least wave, but Tess was far too preoccupied. I finally gave up and made we made our way to the bakery for a sweet roll.

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 **So? Let me know what you think. Once again, all ( _kind_ ) constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm so glad that Eloise not getting chosen surprised everyone. Check out what's happening next!**

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The next morning we sat at the kitchen table eating our breakfast in silence. Mother was still feeling down about me not being chosen, despite her claims otherwise. The night before she had insisted that she was glad she got to keep me for at least another year, but I could tell she still wanted this more than I did.

Suddenly Mother said, "You know, you can opt out of the interview next year."

I paused before answering, surprised by her sudden statement. "I know. It's just that if I get chosen, you will be given money. The farm wouldn't suffer like it does. I could get married to a wealthy, high ranking man with a large library and you could come visit and read all the books you want."

She smiled, her face full of pride. "Oh, Eloise. You don't have to worry about me. Truly. I'm happy to have you here with me. I know you don't believe it, but it's true. Please, if you don't want it, then don't do it. I don't want to make you do something you don't want. I appreciate the thought, but I want you happy more than anything."

I was silent for a moment. It _had_ occurred to me that I wouldn't have to go through with it. Still, I wanted to be able to provide her with a stable lifestyle. I didn't want her to worry about money or losing the farm. Now that she had spoken up about it, though… Perhaps I would choose to opt out next time. I had plenty of time to decide, though.

"Thank you, Mother," I finally said. "I'll think about that."

We cleaned up our breakfast and got started on the day. Mother stayed in the kitchen and worked while I started on the laundry. There were a lot of chores that we to catch up on after spending the previous day at the festival.

Right before noon, a beautiful carriage pulled into the farmyard. I looked up from the clothesline with excitement, thinking it was Tess coming to say goodbye before she left to do whatever it was that a Lady of Opportunity did. As the carriage slowed to a stop, however, I noticed the carriage was empty. My excitement quickly faded into confusion as one of the two men climbed down from the front of the carriage.

He spotted me and made his way over. He eyed the apron in my hands and the basket of clothes on the ground beside me. "Good morning, miss. I am Mr. Farley with the Committee of Opportunity. Is Miss Eloise Taylor at home?"

I blinked at him, shocked into silence. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked across the farmyard to the house, where Mother had opened the kitchen door. She stepped outside, letting the door slam shut behind her. She look over with a look of concern. "May I help you sir?" she called out before I could talk to the man myself. "I am Mrs. Taylor, this is my late husband's farm."

Mr. Farley looked toward her and began to make his way to the house, forgetting all about me. I dropped the damp apron back into the basket and followed after him.

"Mrs. Taylor," Mr. Farley said, "My name is Mr. Farley with the Committee of Opportunity. I came looking for your daughter, Miss Eloise Taylor."

She nodded her head in my direction. "That is my daughter there. You just spoke with her."

Mr. Farley turned with a look of shock, as if he were not expecting to find the Miss Taylor he was looking for doing chores. "Miss Taylor," he said, regaining the little bit of composure he had lost. "I would like to invite you to be a representative for Ravendale to travel to Cliffside. Miss Toohill has elected to not participate and you were chosen by the committee to be her replacement."

I could feel my eyes widen and my jaw drop involuntarily. "Me?" I managed to croak.

Mr Farley nodded, almost regrettably. "Yes. You, Miss Eloise Taylor, were next in line to be the representative."

I didn't know what else to say. What _was_ I supposed to say? Mr. Farley looked at me expectantly. Mother finally came to my rescue and spoke up. "Mr. Farley, she has the choice to decline this also, does she not?"

He turned to look at her. "Yes, Mrs. Taylor, she does have that choice. This is an honor, though. Is she promised to be wed?"

"Well, no…"

"I'll be honored to accept," I interrupted, suddenly sure of myself.

She looked at me with slight confusion. "Are you sure, dear?"

"Yes, Mother. It _is_ an honor. I'm more than happy to accept." I looked to Mr. Farley. "I only have one concern. If I am chosen to go to the palace, will there be any compensation for my mother to make up for my lost wages that she relies on?"

He nodded, noticeably uncomfortable that a woman had brought up finances. I ignored it and waited for his reply. "Yes, the royal family will give each family a comfortable sum of money as a token of their gratitude for your family's sacrifice."

"That's settled then. I am honored to represent Ravendale."

"Well then, Miss Taylor, we would like to take you to town as soon as you are able. Can you gather any special belongings, perhaps change your clothes?" His voice sounded a little judgemental as he said this. "You don't need to pack any clothes. New clothes will be provided for you. You will return home in a week, whether you are chosen to go to the palace or not. You need only pack a handful of items. If you are chosen to be sent to the palace, then you will be given the opportunity to say a complete goodbye to your family and friends."

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and said, "Mother, will you help me get ready? Mr. Farley, you can water your horses over by the barn if you wish."

"Thank you for the offer, but we need to get going as soon as possible. Please make it quick."

Mother guided me into the house. "Are you sure about this, Eloise?" she asked as she pulled out my dress from the previous day. "You _don't_ have to do this."

"There's only a small chance I will be chosen to go to the palace. And if I am chosen, there's an even smaller chance that I'll be chosen by Prince Daniel. I will get to learn more and meet new people if I go to the palace. It will be exciting."

She looked skeptical. She knew me too well to know I was completely confident in my decision, but she just nodded. "If that's what you want. I'll miss you dearly, though."

"I won't be chosen, I'm sure of it," I added. "Did you see the look Mr. Farley gave me? He clearly wasn't expecting to retrieve a farm girl." I laughed, trying to ease the uneasy feeling that had settled in my chest. "It will be nice to be away for a week."

"Then let's get you dressed and ready to go. What will you take with you?"

"I don't think I'll need much."

She seemed to ponder something. "You get dressed and I'll be right back."

I quickly changed into the festival dress. I began to feel as though I made a mistake. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so eager to accept. As I finished pulling my dress on, Mother returned.

"Here, take these," she said, holding out an intricately carved box. She opened it and inside sat a beautiful hair comb and matching necklace adorned with sparkling gems in blues and greens. "I wore these when I married your father. I would like you to wear them while you are in Cliffside. Maybe they will be your lucky charm, whatever way you hope the outcome sways."

"Oh, Mother, they're beautiful."

She helped me get my dress buttoned and quickly did my hair the best that she could. "I'll pack these for you. Anything else? Perhaps a book?"

"Yes, a book would be great."

As we gathered my things, I watched my mother closely. She was beautiful- I had always wished I had gotten her dark locks. My own hair, once a rich chestnut brown, had faded to a dull brown. It resembled the color of the mice that ran across the farmyard. I had no doubt that I would be home for good in a week. Nobody in their right mind would allow the chance of _me_ becoming a queen.

"Should we return to Mr. Farley, then?"

I blinked, startled out of my thoughts. "Oh. Um, yes. I suppose we shouldn't keep him waiting any longer."

When we returned to the carriage, Mr. Farley again did not withhold his look of surprise. He appeared as though he expected me to come back in only slightly better rags than before, not in the beautiful dress I currently wore. His look helped validate the sensation that I was only going to be gone temporarily.

"Have a good time, Eloise," Mother said, giving me an extra tight hug. "I'll see you in a week. Good luck dear. Make me proud."

"Thank you, Mother. I'll be back doing chores before you know it."

We looked back to Mr. Farley expectantly, who was still standing in a state of disbelief. "Hmm? Oh. Well then, are those your things? Let's get going. We will be heading to Cliffeside today."

The carriage driver opened the carriage door for me and offered his hand. "Miss," he said.

"Thank you," I replied as I stepped up into the carriage. As I sat down and made myself comfortable I called out, "Goodbye, Mother!" After the men had returned to the seat up front, the carriage lurched ahead. I waved to my mother until we had pulled out of the farmyard and out of sight. My stomach felt almost queasy as we made our way to town. I kept trying to convince myself that I had made the right choice. I tried to remember that I would only be gone a week and then I would be back for good. There was no way that I would be chosen. If I, for some strange reason, was indeed chosen, then I could surely decline. They would understand, wouldn't they? Besides, this would be fun. I could make some new friends, relax a little, and I would get a new dress or two. I deserved to enjoy myself a little, didn't I?

The carriage pulled to a stop in front of a lovely townhouse. Mr. Farley got down and came to the side of the carriage. "We are here to retrieve Miss Warner and then we will be on our way straight to Cliffside."

I looked out and up at the house. A curly wrought iron fence with a gate guarded the small, lush garden in front. Not long after entering, Mr. Farley returned with Cynthia. She was wearing a stunning dress, even more beautiful than her festival dress. She must have saved this dress for if, and when, she was chosen. Her beautifully golden hair was piled on top of her head in the most fashionable style with lots of curls and twists. She glided down the steps with all the grace and charm you would expect of someone who had been raised to act like royalty. This was clearly what Mr. Farley had expected when he came to get me.

Mr. Farley opened the carriage door for Cynthia himself. "Miss Warner, this is Miss Taylor. She will be taking Miss Toohill's place as a representative."

I braced myself for the sneer I knew was coming. A girl of such wealth would surely turn up her nose at sharing a carriage with a farm girl like me. Cynthia would be just as disappointed as Mr. Farley.

When she spoke, however, it was far from the disgusted tone I expected. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Taylor," she said with a kind smile. She stepped up into the carriage and sat herself across from me.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Warner," I replied after a short pause, startled by the congenial greeting.

"Oh, please, call me Cynthia. We will be spending most of the next week together, and- if we're lucky- the next two years! I would love to have a friend before all of this gets too hectic. My mother says you're the competition, but I would like to think not."

Once again, I sat in a stunned silence as the carriage pulled away from Cynthia's home. Finally I spoke. "You can call me Eloise then. It _would_ be nice to have a friend." I hesitated, not sure if I should continue. But Cynthia made me feel strangely at ease. "You won't need to worry about me as competition anyway. I don't really want to go to the palace. I doubt I will be chosen anyway. Who would want to send a farm girl and school teacher to learn to be a princess?"

"Eloise! You're a school teacher? How grand!" She gave a dramatic, wistful sigh. "I used to envy the other children in town who got to attend school. My parents insisted that I was to have governesses and tutors to teach me all about how to be a lady. They thought for sure that I would be chosen if I had the right talents. They were appalled that I had gone three years without being chosen. They were starting to look for suitors." She rolled her eyes. "Nobody wants to marry a twenty-four year old spinster, according to my mother. She said that since I'm twenty-one and I hadn't been chosen, then I wouldn't be chosen at all. She thinks the committee must have known about this for years and had held back my name so that I could be chosen for this instead."

I blinked, startled by her blunt speech and honesty. Would she continue to catch me off guard for the rest of the trip? Cynthia looked at me expectantly, so all I could manage to get out was, "You don't say."

"Oh, yes. Anyway, I wouldn't discount yourself if I were you. If you're a school teacher, you must certainly be smart! They wouldn't want a dumb future queen. They need someone who can assist with running the kingdom, don't they?"

"I never thought of that," I admitted.

"Exactly. You never know, one of us could be the future Queen of Rybeth!"

I didn't reply this time. I was thinking about the possibility of going to palace. I still doubted that I could be queen, but I _would_ enjoy learning at the palace, just as I had said to Mother. When I had said it this morning, I had just been making excuses. But I now felt like it really could be enjoyable. Finally, I said, "Imagine what we'll learn at the palace. I wonder if they will teach us like we're in a school, or if we'll each have individual tutors."

Cynthia perked up at the idea. "Oh, I hope it's like school. I had always wanted to learn with other children. It was so lonely being tutored by myself. My brothers are quite a bit older than I am, so they were already running my father's shops by the time I had a tutor. Do you have any siblings?"

"No, just me."

"How lonely. I felt like an only child sometimes."

I shrugged. "It wasn't so bad. My mother and father made life fun. We were like three peas in a pod."

"What a quaint expression! What do your parents do? My father owns several shops in town. He used to hire out managers, but now that my brothers are old enough, they manage and run the shops."

"My father passed away almost six years ago. He was a farmer. My mother still lives on the farm. Her brothers help run things there, now that she doesn't have my father."

"Oh, how sad. I'm so sorry about your father."

"Thank you. It's been hard, but we're making it work."

Cynthia nodded, this time not adding any remarks of her own, instead choosing to look out the window as the carriage made its way out of town and towards the city. I was surprised by my newfound friend. I had expected a haughty, spoiled town girl. Instead, I got Cynthia. Perhaps she was right. We could be friends- and if not friends, then allies at the least.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Hello to my new followers! I am so pleased that I have so many new followers for this story. I appreciate those of you that even went and took a look at my other stuff. (Can't you tell that I have made a lot of progress since I started out?)**

 **Enjoy this new chapter!**

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"Eloise, look!"

Cynthia's voice shook me out of a strangely deep slumber. I sat up, startled. "Sorry, what?" I asked groggily.

"Look," Cynthia repeated, pointing out the carriage window.. "The city! We're almost there."

We looked out the window together to stare at the tall city walls coming into view. Just as the town name suggested, the city sat atop a tall hill by the cliffs that lined the sea shore. Cliffside was an impressive sight to behold- even Cynthia was amazed. At the very top of the hill sat a large stone castle or fort of some kind, with turrets and battlements. It stoically overlooked the city and the ocean at the same time, protecting its people from any threat.

"It's incredible," I murmured.

"It really is."

The carriage rolled through the gates without catching any special attention from the citizens of Cliffside. In Ravendale, our carriage had caused quite a stir, with plenty of stares and whispers from the townspeople. Yet here the people continued with their errands without so much as a glance in our direction. As we grew closer to the fortress, our group's pace had slowed, but not much. I watched the buildings flicker by in awe. The outermost buildings were small and wooden, built with thatched roofs and crooked doorways. Some of the buildings had boarded up or broken windows. It was obvious the lower classes lived at the outer edges of the city, and I was startled by such poverty. Even though Ravendale was a poor community, nobody lived in the conditions I saw before me. The carriage carried us past all of it and into the heart of the city, where the buildings were significantly more beautiful. I quickly forgot about the ramshackled structures as we rolled along what seemed to be a business district. The shops had beautiful striped awnings and equally beautiful patrons. They filed in and out without any rush, admiring the high quality products available to them.

Cynthia was admiring the shops too. "I hope we get to go shopping while we're here!"

I agreed. My stomach grumbled at me as we passed a bakery, and I realized that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. They had fetched me before lunch and I had been too preoccupied to realize it. "I hope we eat soon," I groaned. "I just remembered… I didn't have lunch." Though I was sure it was nearly time for supper, I also assumed we would need to get settled in before we ate.

Cynthia tilted her head in sympathy. "I ate right before we left. Mr. Farley told us yesterday that we should eat before we leave. It's a shame he didn't advise you to bring something along." Then her eyes lit up and she laughed lightly. "Oh! I feel silly. I have a couple pastries in my satchel here. Mother insisted I take something to eat so I wouldn't look ravenous at dinner tonight. Here, have one!"

"Are you sure? I don't want to take anything you might want."

"I insist," she said. "I hadn't planned on eating them- not both anyway. Despite what Mother said, I was planning on eating as much fancy city food as I can while we're here."

I laughed and took the pastry from Cynthia's outstretched hand. "Thank you so much."

Finally, just as I finished the pastry, we reached the gates of the castle. Mr. Farley spoke with a guard and we were let through the gates and into the courtyard. As we slowed to a stop, an older couple stepped outside. The man looked as stoic as the building whose shadow he stood beneath with his elegant wife standing beside him.

"Those must be our hosts," Cynthia whispered.

The carriage door opened and Mr. Farley offered his assistance as we exited. Once we were standing before the couple, Mr. Farley said, "Ladies, this is the Duke and Duchess of Tyberon, and this is their home. Your Graces, this is Miss Warner of Ravendale and Miss Taylor of Ravendale. They will be representing their county and joining the other young ladies of the region for the interviewing process."

"Welcome to Tyberon Castle," the duke said. "There are two maids waiting inside to show you to your room for the next several days."

"Make yourselves comfortable in your room," the duchess added. "Get prepared for dinner and we will send for you when the meal is served."

With that, the duke and duchess turned and retreated back inside. Mr. Farley nodded. "You heard them, girls. Go inside and find the maids who will help you to your room. This is where I will be leaving you. I will return in a week to take you both home."

We nodded, thanked Mr. Farley, and carried our satchels inside. Even Cynthia only brought what was absolutely necessary, and it made me feel better about my own meager belongings.

Stepping inside, we each let out a quiet gasp. While the castle had a stoic, foreboding outer appearance, the inside was beautiful and inviting. Brightly colored tapestries lined the walls while opulent rugs covered the floors.

"Miss Taylor? Miss Warner?"

We shook off our amazement to find two serious looking women standing before us. "Yes, I'm Miss Warner," Cynthia said. "This is Miss Taylor."

"If you wouldn't mind following us upstairs, we will show you to your room."

We followed the maids up a wide wooden staircase with beautifully carved railings. At the the third floor, the maids led us down a long corridor. As we neared the end of the hall, we could hear low chatter and quiet giggles floating from one of the rooms. Cynthia and I exchanged looks. "Those must be some of the other girls," Cynthia whispered.

The maids opened a set of double doors. "Here is your room that you'll be sharing with two others," one of them said. "Make yourself comfortable and someone will be up to fetch you for your meal." As we entered the room, the doors shut behind us and we were left alone to face our roommates for the week. One was sprawled out on her bed with her eyes closed, while the other sat in a large, comfortable looking chair next to the window that overlooked the city. Neither girl made a move or even looked at us as we stepped inside. The both had dark black hair and wore similar dresses made from a shiny fabric that I had never seen before.

"Hello," Cynthia chirped cheerfully. "I'm-"

"Don't care," mumbled the one who on the bed.

Her response startled me, but Cynthia didn't even blink. She was quiet for a moment before she told the girl, "That color doesn't suit you. Try dark red next time." I looked at my new friend in surprise. She didn't seem to be saying it out of spite. She looked like she was genuinely trying to give the rude girl advice.

The girl looked up with a frown, debating how to reply. To my surprise, she gave a light laugh. "I'll take that into consideration." She propped herself up on an elbow. "I'm Alice."

"Cynthia."

Alice looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to introduce myself. She looked annoyed with me. "Eloise," I said quickly.

"I'm Nora," added the other girl sitting next to the window. "Not that anyone cares."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Of course they _care_ , Nora. They were dealing with my attitude." To the newcomers she added, "That's my sister. Somehow we both got picked."

"You know we were the only _decent_ eligible girls in the county," her sister mumbled. "It was either us or a _fisherman's_ daughter _._ "

"What's wrong with a fisherman's daughter?" I asked, getting ready to be on the defense. "Is it because they're lower class?"

Alice laughed. "Calm down, _farm girl_." I felt my face burn, though I wasn't sure of the emotion I felt. Was it that obvious that I was a farm girl? Did I really look like I came from a farm? I didn't know whether to be insulted or embarrassed. She didn't offer an explanation for it and simply continued, "They stink like fish and they're too promiscuous to become someone that holds a title."

" _Alice_ ," Nora groaned. "You know just as well as I do that promiscuity isn't limited to people without a title. Don't be mean. Don't listen to her," she told me. "She's just jealous because one of the men she had her eye on married a fisherman's daughter instead of her."

" _Nora!_ "

"What? I'm just telling the truth."

Suddenly laughter rose from the next room.

" _Ugh_ ," Alice said, flopping back down on her bed. "This week will be absolute _torture_."

I didn't bother to mention that if she made it past this stage, she would have to deal with that sort of thing for at least another two years.

Cynthia shrugged. "I think I might go introduce myself to our neighbors if anyone wants to join," she said, putting her bag down on one of the beds. "Do you mind if I take this bed, Eloise?"

I shook her head. "No, I don't mind."

"Anyone joining me?"

" _No_ ," the sisters said forcefully.

"Eloise?"

"Sure, why not?" I was more than eager to leave the sisters.

We left our shared room and knocked next door. A laughing blonde opened the door. "Oh, hello!" she said. "You must be the new girls next door! We heard you arrive."

"Yes, that's right" Cynthia replied back. "I am Miss Cynthia Warner, and this is my friend Miss Eloise Taylor. We thought we would come introduce ourselves before things started getting hectic here!"

"Well it's a pleasure, Miss Warner and Miss Taylor!" she said with a smile. "My name is Miss Gina Abbott, but you may call me Gina. All of us here are on a first name basis with each other already. Please, come in! We have a nice group here- eight of us total. Some of us arrived last night, myself included. I believe most of us are here now. You were one of the last to arrive. I think there are only two more counties due to arrive out of the ten. I heard one won't be arriving til quite late. The other should be here before dinner."

Gina stepped aside to let us inside the room. Inside the room sat seven other girls. "Girls, this is Cynthia and Eloise. They've just arrived at the castle." The group threw out a few kind greetings as Gina motioned for us to take a seat. "Please, make yourself comfortable. We were just discussing the merits of the king's new proposed tax policy."

"Really?" I asked worriedly. I didn't know anything about taxes or policies.

"No," called a redhead from across the room, "but Gina sure tried to get that conversation started." Several of the girls snickered in good humor.

"What? If any of us make it to the palace, we'll have to learn about that sort of thing eventually."

"Sure, but we aren't there yet, are we? Statistically speaking, of the ten of us here, there's an approximate chance that only five of us will continue."

Another girl pitched in. "And only one of us can be chosen by the prince."

"That's true, but listen- if this tax policy gets passed by the Council…"

I listened to their banter with awe. I had assumed the girls chosen would be beautiful and their positive traits would stop there. Sure, I had expected some well-educated peers to be here, but nothing of this caliber. They spoke maturely and purposefully while they spoke of statistics, taxation, allies, armies, and infrastructure. Even more to my surprise, Cynthia was chiming in with insightful commentary. I felt foolish for making such a biased assumption about these girls. I was not prepared for these types of conversations at all, and felt embarrassed by my lack of information on the subject.

"Eloise, what do you think?"

I blushed. I had hoped they would have ignored me. "I… well, I don't really…"

"What business is your family in?" asked another. "How would it affect the family business?"

Cynthia, sensing my discomfort said, "Her late father was in agriculture. Eloise herself has recently been involved in local education." I glanced at her, grateful for the vague explanation. For the few hours I had known her, she seemed to know exactly what to say in present company.

The girls nodded, seeming to understand Cynthia's explanation. There was a pause and the redhead said, "Look, dear. We're all in this together. There are going to be plenty of girls who will want to sabotage you- and the rest of us. Stick with us and we'll make sure you're totally prepped for the interview." The rest of the girls nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, um…"

"Sheila."

"Thank you, Sheila. I really appreciate that."

The girls then took turns explaining tax and trade policies to me. They would have made excellent teachers with how they explained things in a way that I could understand. They had patience and knowledge, two of the most important parts of being a teacher.

"Those are the basics, really," Gina said.

"Wow, that's quite a lot of information," I said. "That's just the basics?"

"Well, it's the black and white version, anyway. The rest is all to do with how it affects the different groups and classes. It might affect farmers differently than it might affect shopkeepers. There's no way to tell exactly what might happen _for sure_ until it's in effect."

"I see. It's a fascinating subject."

"Oh, don't say that!" Sheila said jokingly. "She'll want to keep talking about it!"

Gina opened her mouth to retort back, but Cynthia jumped in. "What do you think the prince is like?"

"Nobody really knows," said another girl.

"I'm sure he's handsome!"

"And smart!"

"I'll bet he has dark hair and _brooding_ eyes," Sheila said dreamily.

"No, I'm sure he has blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Cynthia, what do _you_ think he looks like? You brought it up."

Cynthia blushed. "Oh, Gina, I don't mind what he looks like. As long as he's kind and just. I would prefer to marry someone who has a good heart than someone who is the most handsome man in the whole country."

"Well, yes, of course. I think we all would, no doubt. Good looks would be a delightful bonus, wouldn't you think?" Gina replied.

We then took turns saying what we thought we wanted the prince to be. Most girls had the same idea: kind hearted, dutiful, and handsome. By the time we were called to dinner, I felt a strong kinship to the nine other girls in the room- even those whose names I didn't yet know. I was excited for the rest of the week and couldn't wait to grow close to the rest of them.

* * *

 **Please review and let me know what you thought! I liked writing this, even though it's a bit of a filler chapter. We'll get to know some of the girls better over the next few chapters. It will start to get interesting soon!**

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	6. Chapter 6

I looked around the long, crowded table. There were eighteen of us in total. The last county was due to arrive much later in the evening. I looked down the table at Cynthia, who had been placed between Gina and another girl I hadn't met yet. I had been set between Nora and a girl from Gina's room whose name I couldn't remember. Both girls were talking to someone else, leaving me to eat my meal in peace, and I was perfectly content with it. This was the most amazing meal I had ever eaten, though I heard some girls make low, grumbled critiques of the food.

"Eloise, what is Ravendale like?" I heard someone ask. I looked up to see Sheila, who was seated directly across from me, looking at me with a kind smile.

"Oh, it's a fairly small town. It's a beautiful place, though. Our clock tower is quite well-known throughout the county. I don't spend much time there, though. I live just outside of town."

The girl to my left joined the conversation. "Oh, that's right, Cynthia said your father was in agriculture?"

"Yes, that's right."

"How exciting," she said. "I've always been fascinated by the beauty of the country. I'm from right here in Cliffside. There is plenty of entertainment, but I have always been envious of people who live away from city walls. I sometimes feel a little trapped."

Nora heard this and said, "Well, then you probably wouldn't want to be queen. You'd be stuck inside a palace all day."

The girl shrugged. "The palaces have beautiful and expansive gardens, I'm sure. I don't think I would mind it so much." Nora ignored the comment and resumed her conversation with the girl to her right. My conversation partner just shook her head and lowered her voice. "I don't actually think I'll be chosen. I really didn't want to be a part of this, but my mother and father insisted."

"I don't think I'll be chosen either," I admitted quietly. "I'm just a farm girl. Nobody wants a farm girl around, I'm sure. I don't really want to go either."

Sheila, unable to hear our conversation, said, "Oh, ignore her, Portia. They're from down the coast where they don't know how to mind their manners." She shot a look at Nora conveying her disapproval.

So Portia was my neighbor's name. She just smiled at Sheila. "It doesn't matter to me," she said.

After dinner, we gathered in what must have been the ballroom, where two rows of chairs were lined neatly in a semi-circle at one end of the room. There appeared to be no assigned seating this time, so I found Cynthia and quickly settled in next to her. Once again, two chairs sat empty. We all sat, chattering quietly while we waited to find out what this was all about. After a few minutes we heard heels clacking against the parquet floor.

"Ladies, welcome to Cliffside."

We all looked over to see a short, stout woman heading our way. She stood in front of us, surveying the group. She didn't seem enthused to be here.

"We have received word that the remaining two girls have just arrived within city walls, so we shall wait until they arrive to get started. My name is Mrs. Downey and I am in charge of you ladies until the end of the week. I am going to go and wait for the new girls, so please keep it down until I return." She paused, as if she wanted to say something more, but instead turned on her heel and back out the door.

"She didn't seem pleased to see us," Cynthia commented to me.

Portia, who sat in front of us, turned around and said quietly, "Mrs. Downey has four eligible daughters. She had hoped her position would have allowed them a sure spot in this process, but none of them were chosen." She winced slightly. "I'm afraid she's not going to like me _at all_."

"What _is_ her position here exactly?" I asked.

"She's in charge of preparing us for the interview. She's basically our boarding school matron, so to speak. She will make sure we all make it to our appointments with the dressmakers and hairdressers."

"I hope she doesn't sabotage you," Cynthia said.

"Oh, I don't think she will. She's angry, but she wouldn't risk getting in trouble. Besides, even if she does, I wouldn't mind. My parents were the ones that made me accept this. I'm happy to return home."

"Do you have a beau?"

She blushed furiously. "Not exactly. I mean, there _is_ someone, but he's not…" Just then, we noticed one of the other girls watching us closely. "It's nothing," Portia finally said.

Her tone made me extremely curious. There seemed to be more to the story, but neither Cynthia nor I pressed her for more information. Perhaps we could learn more later on.

Portia continued to talk to us about Mrs. Downey and Cliffside, telling us all she knew about what we were supposed to do this week. After what seemed like an hour, Mrs. Downey returned with two exhausted-looking girls in tow.

"Our last guests are here, so we can now get started."

The two girls took the remaining seats beside me and Mrs. Downey returned to the front of our semi-circle.

"Again, welcome to Cliffside, ladies. I am your coordinator for the week. I am in charge of making sure you make it to your appointments and are completely prepared for the interview at the end of your stay. Tonight I will explain what your week will be like here at Tyberon Castle and what rules you will be expected to follow. First, you will each take turns introducing yourselves. We will start here at the front. Please come stand in front of your peers and tell us your name, town, and county." She gestured to Gina who sat at the far end of the first row.

Gina stood up and said, "My name is Miss Gina Abbott, I'm from the town of Wellington in County Wells."

Next was Sheila. "Miss Sheila Nelson, Wellington in County Wells."

I tried to remember all the names and counties, but it was hard, despite each girl being seated right next to the one they came with. I listened closely to each, but by the time it was Cynthia's turn, I could barely remember my own name.

"Miss Cynthia Warner, I'm from Ravendale in County Forsythe."

It was my turn. I stood, walking in front of the group. I tried not to sound as nervous as I felt and said, "Miss Eloise Taylor of Ravendale, County Forsythe."

The two girls who arrived late introduced themselves last. Their names were Miss Fern Walden and Miss Vera Milton, both from County Rowan. As Vera sat down, Mrs. Downey returned to the front to address us.

"Next, I would like to go over some rules. These rules are in place to keep everyone safe and for the process to be fair. First: You may not leave the castle unless you are accompanied by myself or an appointed chaperone. Second: you may not receive visitors or mail while you are here. You families have been instructed of this, so this should not be an issue. Nevertheless, if you receive any correspondence while you are here, it will be given to you when you leave.

"Third: You are allowed to entertain yourselves within the castle walls, but stay off the fourth floor. That is where the family's rooms are. You will respect their privacy since they have allowed us to use their home for this week.

"And lastly, any young woman found guilty of trying to sabotage or harm another girl in _any_ way will be immediately sent home. All girls are encouraged to report any unsavory behavior such as this. Now, any questions regarding the rules?"

A hand hesitantly went up in the air next to me.

"Yes, Miss Walden?"

"You said we aren't allowed to receive any correspondence, but are we allowed to send any letters?"

"You are allowed to send letters, but no packages. Anything else, ladies? If there are no further questions, I will now explain what will happen during your stay. Tomorrow you will have breakfast in your rooms and then meet with the dressmaker and her assistants for measurements in this room. After that we will meet for lunch in the dining hall again. Once we are finished with lunch, we will return here once again to choose your dresses. The dressmaker has already made twenty gowns for you all, but they will need to be customized to your liking and size.

"Then on Monday we will go over basic etiquette. This will just be a quick refresher for you all. We will go over it in the morning, then in the afternoon we will make sure everyone remembers what they learned. If anyone needs any more instruction, you will be required to spend several sessions with me on Tuesday and Wednesday." She seemed to let her gaze linger on me before she continued. "On Tuesday morning we will meet with the dressmaker and her seamstresses again for your first fitting. That afternoon will allow you some free time, unless you need to attend the etiquette sessions with me.

"What you do on Wednesday will be up to you. There will be several options for you. I will be holding the final etiquette sessions that morning. In the afternoon, we will have several chaperones available if you wish to go shopping. Each girl will be given an allowance on Wednesday. It is your choice whether you choose to spend it or not. Thursday we will go over common knowledge of Rybeth. We need to be sure you know the very basic laws and history of our country. After lunch, you will have your final fitting for your gowns.

"Your last full day here will be Friday, and that will be when the interviews are held. There will be hairdressers here to do your hair in the morning. After lunch, you will each be taken in groups of four to the mayor's home where a special committee will conduct your interviews. You will not know their decision until you return home. Approximately a week after your interview, a messenger will be sent to your homes with a letter telling you what the committee's decision was."

Mrs. Downey surveyed us and said, "Now, are there any questions or concerns about your stay, ladies?" Alice's hand shot up. "Miss Guiles?"

"We were instructed to only wear one dress and bring no others. Are we going to have to wear the same dress all week?"

"Very good question, I forgot to address that. When you arrive in your rooms tonight you will find dresses hanging in the wardrobes. All four girls assigned to a room will be required to share the dresses and shoes in the wardrobes. They should be able to be adjusted to fit as needed. If nothing fits properly, you can ask your maid to help- each room will have one maid assigned. There will also be nightgowns on your beds for you to sleep in for the week. You will get a clean nightgown each night, so when you change for the day, place your clothes in the baskets found under your beds. The same goes for your dresses at the end of the day. You will have a full wardrobe every morning. Any other questions?" Another hand rose "Yes, Miss Parish?"

"What will they be looking for during our interviews?"

"We will go over that later in the week. Miss Abbott?"

"Just to clarify, how many of us will be chosen to continue to the palace?"

"I will discuss that in length later in the week also, but it will not be ten of you as was read at the Festival of Opportunity."

Everyone exchanged glances and collective confused murmurs spread through the group.

"Quiet, please. Don't worry about it. You will find out more on Monday. Now, does anyone else have any more questions, preferably about the rules or schedule?" After a few moments of silence, Mrs. Downey said, "You may all return to your rooms. Your maids will be waiting at the stairs. Get some sleep, we will have a busy week."

* * *

 **Let me know if I made any errors. I was super exhausted when I proof-read the 2nd time. I hope you're liking the story! Let me know what you think if you're up for leaving a review! Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Thank you, Miss Taylor. We're done."

I stepped away from the dressmaker's assistant and returned to the group of girls who were admiring the variety of dresses on display.

"Seriously though, what if two or more girls want the same dress?" said Vera.

"Perhaps it depends on what sizes we are. Maybe certain dresses were made for taller figures than others?" Cynthia offered.

"Which one do you like, Nora?"

"As if I'm telling. How do I know one of you won't snatch it up before I get the chance to claim it?" I glanced in Nora's direction as she said this. She had a haughty yet suspicious look plastered on her face.

Cynthia noticed I had joined the group. "Eloise! What's your opinion? Which do you think is best?"

I shrugged and said, "I really don't have a preference. They're all so beautiful."

I heard a chuckle nearby and someone said quietly, "She wouldn't know any better. She's just a _farm girl_." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice grinning. She had obviously meant for me to hear her. I ignored her and pretended not to notice.

"Ladies," Mrs. Downey called. "Lunch is served."

The entire group of us followed her to the dining hall, where a full lunch sat waiting. We took our seats and enjoyed our lunch. Some of the girls were still having heated debates on the dresses, despite having Mrs. Downey within earshot. Several of the dresses were already being claimed by multiple girls. I was very entertained by watching half of them bicker. It made me wonder just how many of them would continue on. Despite the squabbles, Mrs. Downey ignored all of us completely and ate her meal in silence. Finally, when she was done, she stood and called, "Ladies, time to finish up. We're going to return to the ballroom shortly."

Back in the ballroom, Mrs. Downey had us sit down to discuss the dresses.

"Girls, I heard quite a bit of arguing and fighting at lunch over these dresses." She gave us a stern, displeased look. "That sort of behavior is _very_ unbecoming. A young lady of status should _never_ argue in front of a large group, even if it is a group of your peers. Your arguments were useless, anyway. The dressmaker, Ms. Dawson, is a very skilled woman. She also has a process to determine which girl shall get which dress. She will speak to you each briefly and determine which dress best suits your appearance and personality."

Despite Mrs. Downey's chastisement, several of the girls grumbled under their breath about the announcement. She shot them each a look, silencing them immediately. "I expect you ladies to mingle amongst yourselves _quietly_ as I call you each up to speak with Ms. Dawson."

She scanned the group for a moment. Finally she pointed to Cynthia. "Miss Warner, you're first. Please go see Ms. Dawson." She looked at me. "Miss Taylor, you're next. After Miss Taylor, Miss Nelson will go, followed by Miss Abbott. I will choose the rest as they finish." She walked off to the side to watch us from a distance.

Cynthia stood and went to see Ms. Dawson, who sat behind a small desk on the other side of the ballroom. I watched carefully as she greeted Ms. Dawson with a slight curtsey and a smile. Ms. Dawson gave her a warm smile back and gestured for her to sit. The two spoke for quite some time. Finally, Cynthia stood and returned to the group. She looked pleased with whatever had transpired and motioned for me to make my way over.

I stood and wiped my palms on my skirt. I took a deep breath and made my way to Ms. Dawson. She was a tall, thin woman who looked to be my mother's age. Her graying hair was swept up in an elegant but practical style. She glanced up from her book, surveying me with dark eyes. "Miss Taylor?" she asked.

"Yes, that would be me. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said, dipping my head to show her respect. I was afraid a curtsey would just make me look foolish.

"Please, take a seat."

I did as she told, folding my hands in my lap. Ms. Dawson was back at her book, writing something down. After a minute, she looked back up at me, her attention now completely focused on me.

"Now, Miss Taylor, tell me about yourself. What are your hobbies? Do you have any special skills?"

"Not too many hobbies, really. I read a little bit here and there. I didn't have much time for hobbies back home. We were always so busy."

"And skills?"

I gave a light chuckle before I could stop myself. "Oh, no. I'm not especially good at anything."

She clicked her tongue. "You needn't act humble with me, my dear."

"Oh, please don't misunderstand me. I'm truly not being modest. I honestly have no special or unique skills."

"Sewing? Drawing? Knitting? What about embroidery? Are you proficient in any foreign languages?"

I felt my face burn. "No, I'm really not good at any of those. I didn't have any instruction in drawing, painting, or embroidery unfortunately. I can sew and knit passably, but I won't becoming a dressmaker with what little skill I have."

Her cheerful disposition had melted away while she pressed me for an acceptable answer. Now she frowned at me, not making any effort to hide her annoyance. "Tell me what life is like for you, then. What is your family like?"

"I grew up on my father's family farm. I have no siblings. We lost my father five years ago to a terrible illness. Just last fall I took a job as school teacher near my farm to help my mother with income. We don't lead an exciting life, but we're happy." I could feel my embarrassment continue to rise within me as my face burned even hotter. She knew I didn't belong here, just like the other girls did. My embarrassment turned to dread. I shouldn't have come. I should go straight to Mrs. Downey and ask her to send me home.

She scribbled a couple things down. "I see. Do you have a preferred color or style of dress in mind?"

"I'm not picky. I'll be happy to own any of the beautiful gowns you've brought today. They're absolutely stunning."

Still writing, she sighed. "That's all. Thank you."

"Thank you, Ms. Dawson," I managed to reply before I hurried away. I passed Sheila, who had been watching us like a hawk. She gave me a smile before gliding over to the other side.

"Isn't she _lovely_?" Cynthia asked as I approached.

"This was a mistake. I shouldn't be here."

Her face grew serious with concern. "What? Eloise, what's gotten into you? What happened with Ms. Dawson? You weren't _this_ pessimistic yesterday. You have every right to be here, just as much as the rest of us."

"I don't belong. I don't belong here at all! You all know everything you need to know about being a lady, but I can't name one special skill I have. You should have seen Ms. Dawson's face when I told her I was a farmer's daughter." I felt myself fighting back tears. "I'm sorry, Cynthia. I'm not feeling well. I'm going to go up to our room."

I rushed away before she could say anything more. I rushed up to Mrs. Downey. "Mrs. Downey, I'm afraid I'm not feeling well. May I go rest in my room until dinner?"

She blinked, startled by my sudden appearance. "Oh. I suppose. I'll send someone to fetch you when it's time."

"Thank you," I managed to say before bursting out of the room in tears. Somehow I managed to make my way back to my room. I fumbled with the door knob and flew in, flinging myself on my bed.

What was I going to do for an entire week? How was I supposed to deal with this? I didn't want to put up with the judgemental looks and whispered comments. There had obviously been a mistake when the committee chose me to replace Eliza Toohill.

After a while, my tears stopped flowing and I could catch my breath again. I hated being a quitter, but I couldn't stay where I wasn't wanted.

A knock came to the door and I felt my entire body shake with surprise. I had dozed off without meaning to. "Miss Taylor?" a voice called through the door.

I got up and made my best attempt to smooth my skirts without much luck. I took a shaky breath and slowly walked to the door. I wasn't sure who to expect when I opened it, but I certainly did not expect the duchess to be at my door. She was even more beautiful and elegant up close.

"Good afternoon, Miss Taylor."

"Your Grace, I-" I stopped, unsure of how to continue.

"Please, may I come in?"

I nodded, standing to the side so she could enter. I watched as she took a seat in one of the chairs by the window.

"Come sit with me, Miss Taylor."

I did as she asked, still unable to speak. I folded my hands in my lap and stared at them.

"I apologize for barging in on you. I saw you rushing up here earlier and was concerned about you. Mrs. Downey says you are feeling unwell?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Oh, please, when it's just the two of us, you may call me Marianne."

I snuck a peek at her and found she was watching me closely. I could tell she had meant it, so I replied with, "Yes… Marianne."

"Now, please. Tell me what's ailing you."

I shook my head, returning my gaze to my lap. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a headache."

"I can tell there's more to it than that. Where are you from, Miss Taylor?"

"Um… You may call me Eloise since you…"

"Very well, Eloise. Now, where is it that you call home?"

"Ravendale."

"Lovely town, if I remember correctly. I've only been once. Ages ago." She paused, shifting her gaze from me to the window. "What does your family do?"

I felt a lump forming in my throat. This would be where she would get up abruptly and leave. Such a great lady would look down upon my humble beginnings. "My father was a farmer. I'm a school teacher."

She laughed, but not in a mocking way. Her laugh was kind and warm, and it made her sound like she had thought of a funny joke. "You don't say! I was a school teacher when I was your age too!"

Without thinking, I felt my head whip up in surprise. "You… you were a school teacher?"

"I absolutely was. I was the Lady of Opportunity in County Wells many years ago. It's not far from here, actually. I was born in a small village by the name of Forreston." She smiled at me. "I suspect you did not come up here because of a headache. Am I correct?" I felt my face flush yet again. I had never been one to feel embarrassed or ashamed, and yet here I was, my face burning red for what seemed like the hundredth time just today. "Eloise, there's no need to be embarrassed. I understand completely how you feel about this. You feel like you're out of place here, yes? Please, tell me. I am your ally. You do not need to censor yourself."

I sat in silence for a few moments before I admitted, "I do feel out of place. I'm a farmer's daughter. Half the girls pity me and the other half of them look down on me. I had nothing of value to say when I spoke to Ms. Dawson. She asked what skills and hobbies I had. I have no skills. I had no time for hobbies back home." I took a deep breath. "I think I should ask to be sent home. I can't stay here."

She gave me a kind, understanding look. "My dear, when I was chosen, I felt the same way as you. I felt like I should give up and go back home. At one point, someone _encouraged_ me to go home and give my title to another girl. A few months later, after rigorous training and countless hours of lessons, a member of the committee admitted that I was chosen by accident. They told me I should go back to where I came from." She shook her head. "I almost did, actually, but I didn't. Several more months went by and not one eligible man in my county wanted me, a _true_ commoner, for a wife. I started to feel like a failure. But then I received an invitation to a ball here, at Cliffside. That's when I met the duke. He was unwed, handsome, and incredibly wealthy. I didn't think he would even look at me. I was wrong, though. We fell deeply in love- and two months later we were married."

I stared at her. "That's an amazing story. What made you decide to continue?"

"I can barely remember anymore. I'm a stubborn woman, I suppose. I refused to admit defeat. I didn't want to go home a failure. Even after all these years, I still feel amazed that I'm here. I stand at my husband's side and pinch myself to make sure this isn't a dream. Look, Eloise, I _know._ It's going to be hard. It won't be easy. Please don't give up if you truly want to do this. At least stick it out this week, hmm?"

I nodded.

"Good. Now, why don't you and I go back down and I'll see to it that you are treated fairly in there. I won't have to say a single word. The moment you walk in with me, the other girls won't _dare_ bother you."

"Thank you for your kindness. I appreciate it."

Marianne stood and held out her hand. "Come, let's get you back to the ballroom."

When we entered the ballroom, Mrs. Downey looked at us with surprise. The duchess gave a wide, warm smile. "Mrs. Downey, Miss Taylor here is feeling better now. I gave her some of my very own tonic and it did wonders for her."

"Oh, I'm very glad to hear that, Your Grace. I hope Miss Taylor was not an inconvenience to you."

"Oh, no, not at all! She's quite the young lady, actually. I was more of an inconvenience to her than anything else." The duchess turned to me. "Please, Miss Taylor, let me know if I can assist you with anything else." Then she turned on her heel and left the room.

Mrs. Downey gave me her signature disapproving look. "Despite the duchess's offer, you are not to bother our hosts, understand?"

"I had no plans to do so, Mrs. Downey," I replied.

"Good, now return to your peers."

When I turned to look for Cynthia, I realized that my entrance did not go unnoticed. The girls stared at me- some with surprise, some with disgust, and some looked obviously envious. Cynthia, however, just waved me over to where she was sitting. Surrounding her was Portia, Gina, Vera, Sheila, and one other girl. I made my way past the stares and sat in the empty chair that Sheila offered to me.

"Are you feeling better?" Cynthia asked.

"Oh, um, yes. Thank you." I looked around, noticing nobody was talking with Ms. Dawson. "Is everyone done speaking with Ms. Dawson?"

"Yes, she's looking over her notes and making decisions about the dresses."

"How long has it been now?"

Portia glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Oh, not long I think. I think we'll be going to dinner soon before we hear her decision."

"You didn't get in trouble, did you?" Surprised, I looked over at the girl whose name I didn't know. I couldn't tell what her reasoning was behind the inquiry.

" _Malena!_ " hissed Portia before I could answer.

"What? I want to make sure she didn't get in trouble for being up in her room."

"No, I didn't get in trouble," I answered quickly.

Malena nodded. "Good."

"Eloise, this is my friend, Malena Byron," Portia said. "She's from Cliffside like me. You can ignore her. She has a tendency to be a bit… hmm… how shall I put this? She tends to be very preoccupied with _fairness_ and _justice_."

"And that's a _bad_ thing?" Malena shot back, her gray eyes dancing with passion. "Someone needs to be able to stand up for what's right. Otherwise our government will end up _just_ like the monarchy that we rebelled against two hundred years ago."

Gina spoke up. "I, for one, think that's good of you, Malena."

"Thank you."

Before the conversation could continue, Mrs. Downey called out to us. "Ladies, dinner is now served. Please follow me to the dining hall."

* * *

 **Let me know what you thought! Thanks so much for reading, everyone. I really appreciate the reviews I have been getting. I'm really excited about the direction the story is taking. I'm getting a little anxious about getting to the good parts, but these are important too!**


	8. Chapter 8

"She _can't_ be serious."

"Why did they change it?"

"This is not _fair_!"

I sat at lunch, watching most of the girls fret over the news Mrs. Downey had given us after our lessons. She did not join us for lunch, and I had a hunch as to why.

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation," Cynthia said calmly. "Perhaps they decided thirty girls was too much to take on."

"But cutting it down to _twelve_ seems a bit much!" Alice huffed, pushing her carrots around on her plate absent-mindedly.

"Only four of us are going to be chosen! Out of twenty!"

"If I don't get chosen, I will be _furious,_ " said Fern. "My parents will make sure I get to the palace."

Nora laughed. "And exactly how do you think that will happen, hmm?"

"My parents are _very_ influential back home."

I glanced down the table to see Vera's reaction to Fern's claims since they both came from County Rowan. She ate her lunch in silence, not even glancing down at Fern. Before I looked away, however, I saw her roll her eyes.

"Arguing won't change the situation. Can't we just talk about something else?" Portia interrupted.

"Oh, please. You don't care like we do because you have a young man on the side in town," Alice retorted, glaring at her. "You shouldn't even be here since you're already involved with a man." Portia's face flushed at the accusation.

"Stop!" I snapped before I could stop myself. My habits from being a teacher kicked in, and I felt the frustration pour out of me. "Portia's right. This arguing and complaining won't change a _single_ thing. For all we know, someone could be standing outside that door right now, listening to us and taking notes of how we're handling this. We need to keep our heads clear!"

"Says the farm girl," Alice snickered.

"How does me being a farm girl change _anything,_ Alice? I am proud of who I am- and I have every right to be here- the same as everyone else in this room. Portia included! Now stop being so _mean_ and keep your thoughts to yourself." I took a deep breath and looked around. Everyone was silent and staring at me, startled by my outburst. I had been quiet and kept to myself so far, but the petty behavior of some of the girls had brought out a side of me that I didn't realize I had.

"Way to go, farm girl!" Malena called suddenly. "I am impressed. Now, can someone pass the carrots? Those are _amazing_."

A few warm chuckles rose as someone passed the carrots. Conversations resumed, but quieter now and strayed from the previous topic. My cheeks felt warm, but this time it wasn't from embarrassment. Instead, I felt a little proud of myself, despite the glares coming from Alice.

Next to me, one of the girls said softly, "That was really brave of you. I could never have done that." She gave me a meek smile. I couldn't remember her name. She was tiny and quiet, with an unassuming face.

"Well, I'm a school teacher, so I'm kind of used to breaking up arguments. Although, it's usually between twelve year-olds."

She laughed. "I'm Piri, by the way. Piri Holtzer."

"Nice to meet you, Piri. I'm Eloise."

"Oh, I know your name. I'm in a room with Fern Walden. She's a little jealous of you I think, ever since you came down to the ballroom with the duchess yesterday. She doesn't like you," she said, keeping her voice low. "I'd be careful around her. She seems the type to sabotage someone, no matter what the rules are."

"Thanks, Piri," I said with surprise. "I really appreciate that."

"I'll let you know if I hear anything. Hopefully the next few days will be uneventful."

"Thank you. Truly. It's nice to have an ally."

She shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm so easily overlooked. Nobody seems to watch what they say around me. It's a gift," she joked. "I think I would have made a great spy in another life."

I laughed. "What a gift indeed! I wish I was more overlooked right now."

"It has its ups and downs. Don't worry about them. They'll get over it and you'll be fine. I hope none of them get picked."

"I hope _you_ get picked, Piri. You seem like you deserve it."

Her entire face brightened. "Really? You think so?" She gave a small sniff. "No one has ever said anything that kind to me before."

I felt a rush of empathy for her. Did she really not have anyone supportive in her life? I touched her arm in a move of support. "I really, _really_ think so. I've only spoken to you just now and I can tell you're a kind person. Rybeth would be lucky to have you as queen."

She beamed. "Oh, Eloise. Thank you. So much."

After we had finished eating, Mrs. Downey strode in. "Ladies, follow me. We will review our etiquette now."

Back in the ballroom, a dining table had been added, complete with formal place settings. I felt dread rise up in me. Dinner etiquette had been hard to follow this morning. I had easily picked up on how to address lords, dukes, kings, and servants. Learning to curtsey also proved to be fairly simple for me, much to my surprise. Mrs. Downey breezed through etiquette at meals, however, and I found myself struggling to keep up.

"Ladies, please take a seat on this side here. We will start with titles and curtseys, then finish with the dinner etiquette review." We sat down in the semi-circle again, with Mrs. Downey standing off to the side with a book. "I will call each of you over to see who might need further review. Miss Alice Guiles?"

I watched Alice get up confidently. She made her way to Mrs. Downey with grace. As she approached, I saw Mrs. Downey raise her eyebrow. She spoke quickly and Alice responded at an equal pace. Finally, Alice curtseyed. Before she could return, Mrs. Downey said something else. As Alice turned back, her face was filled with anger. When she got close enough, I was startled to see her glaring intensely at me. She sat in a huff and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Miss Butler?"

Another girl walked over and had a similar exchange with Mrs. Downey. When she returned, I noticed she was also glaring at me. The next seven or so girls all had the same look. I turned to Piri. "Am I imagining things or-?"

"Oh, no, you aren't imagining it. Those girls are glaring at you for some reason."

"But _why_?" I asked.

Portia leaned in. "It's so strange. I would have expected Mrs. Downey to act unfairly to me. I wonder what she's telling them that's making them so angry. Surely she wouldn't be speaking unkindly of you."

"No matter what she says, I could never be angry with you," Piri said softly.

"I don't want anyone angry at me!"

"Miss Holtzer."

Piri stood and gave me a smile. "Well, I suppose I'll find out soon."

I watched her walk over to Mrs. Downey. She seemed confident and appeared to give her answers to Mrs. Downey quickly and precisely. After her curtsey, she was dismissed without further commentary.

"So?" Portia asked.

Piri held her hands out in confusion. "I have no idea," she said softly. "She didn't say anything to me."

"Strange!" Cynthia said. "I'm sure she won't say anything to me, either."

"Miss Taylor."

I stood slowly. "I guess maybe she will say something to me. Maybe I did something wrong."

"I really don't think you did something wrong, but good luck all the same!" Cynthia said.

I approached Mrs. Downey with apprehension.

"Miss Taylor. First we will review how to address nobility and royalty in different settings." She spoke quickly and precisely, just as I had seen her do with the other girls. I confidently gave her the answers and she seemed satisfied, making several notes in her book. "Thank you. Excellent. Now, curtsey." I gave as graceful of a curtsey as I could muster. As I rose, I saw a look of surprise and amusement. "Impressive, considering your background, Miss Taylor. Good work. Before you go…" she began, jotting down something else.

I tried to breathe evenly and stay calm while I waited for her to continue. What was she going to say? Was she going to explain why she was sending those girls back so angry with me?

"I am impressed with how you handled yourself at lunch today," she said, looking up from her notes. "You diffused a difficult situation and calmed your peers. Well done. You may return to your seat now."

I was surprised by the compliment. Why was everyone made at me, then? I felt myself burn red yet again. "T-thank you," I managed to stutter as I walked away.

I could feel the stares and glares as I sat back down in my seat. I heard Mrs. Downey call Portia up. As she stood, she whispered, "Fill me in when I get back!"

I nodded and the other girls looked at me expectantly.

"So?" Sheila prodded, leaning in closer. "What did she say to you?"

"She didn't look angry," Piri added.

I sighed. "All she did was praise me for my behavior at lunch."

Cynthia frowned, then nodded. "Of course, that's it! That's why those girls glared at you."

"What do you mean?" Piri asked.

"Well, the girls who came back glaring at Eloise were the ones who were complaining and making unkind remarks at lunch, weren't they? If Mrs. Downey knew Eloise had said something at lunch, then she knew what _they_ said also. When Eloise spoke at lunch, she said something about not knowing if someone was listening. It seems like Mrs. Downey _was_ listening." She looked at me with a shrug. "Maybe they think you're some kind of spy."

Sheila gasped dramatically. "Oh… that's probably it!"

"Maybe they think the duchess gave you inside information," Piri added.

Just then, Mrs. Downey dismissed Portia. She hastily made her way to our group and plopped down in her chair. "She didn't say anything to me, either! Fill me in, quick!"

Cynthia explained what happened and Portia frowned. "Really? The other girls think you're a spy?"

"Well, we're guessing anyway."

"It _does_ make sense. I hate to say it, but it really does."

I hung my head. "If I had realized there would be this much trouble, I wouldn't have come."

"Don't say that!" Cynthia said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "I'm so glad you were the one to come with me. Can you imagine? Who would they have chosen to replace you, Eloise? Another granddaughter of Mayor Winters, probably, or someone equally as horrendous. Have you ever met one of the Winters? No? Let me tell you- they did not get the charisma their grandfather had, that's for sure. They're rude, mean, and manipulative. It would have been another _Alice_. Then I would have been roomed with _three_ of them!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "You always know _just_ what to say, Cynthia."

She gave me a wide grin. "That's so sweet of you to say, Eloise. I like to think I'm of help to someone."

We let the conversation change topics then. It wasn't long before had finished her reviews. "Girls, I would please ask all of you to form a line outside of the room. I will be calling each of you in to quiz you on dinner etiquette. I will personally come get you when it is your turn."

We quickly did as we were told, eager to get this portion of the afternoon done. We lined up quietly, the usual complainers strangely silent. It was a minute before Mrs. Downey came out to call up the first girl.

It seemed to take hours to go through the line of girls, though it couldn't have been. Eventually only a girl named Alva and I were left. She kept her distance from me and occasionally sent a sideways glance in my direction. As Sheila exited the ballroom, she gave me a small wave. She made her way down the hall, and Mrs. Downey came out to fetch Alva.

She stepped forward and followed Mrs. Downey inside, leaving me alone. I felt my stomach grumble. It had to be past dinner time, I was sure of it. With my empty stomach and anxiety, I felt nauseous. My nausea then caused more anxiety. I wrung my hands nervously as the minutes passed. Alva finally pushed her way out of the ballroom and stomped off.

As I stared after her, Mrs. Downey appeared. "Miss Taylor, come with me."

I straightened my posture and did as I was told. We approached the table and stopped. She made a few marks while I stood awkwardly nearby.

Finally, she looked up at me. "Miss Taylor, for the purposes of this review, we will imagine we are dining with the duke and duchess here at the castle. Where do they sit?"

"The duke sits at the head of the table, with the duchess at the other end."

"Correct." She made a mark in her book. "Take a seat- any seat."

I hesitated. She had taught us that a gentleman or servant would pull the chair out for a high ranking guest. "Forgive me, I want to clarify- I am normally supposed to wait for the chair to be pulled out for me, yes? And then I sit as they push the chair back in?"

Mrs. Downey smiled and made another mark in her book. "Excellent, Miss Taylor. I do not currently have an assistant, so this once you may do that on your own."

"Thank you," I told her as I sat towards the middle of the table. I sat down cautiously, making sure my posture remained perfect and that my spine did not touch the back of the chair. I looked toward Mrs. Downey, who was making yet another mark in her book. She walked up beside me.

"We will now go over which piece of silverware is for which course."

I took a deep breath. I remembered her saying something about working your way in with the utensils. I did the best that I could under the pressure, with very few mistakes. She corrected me three times throughout the course of the review. Once I was finished, she shut her book with a nod and sat down with only a chair separating us. She turned to me with an expression that I could not read. I felt drops of sweat form on my brow. I resisted the urge to wipe them away and gave her a smile.

"Miss Taylor, I am impressed. After hearing of your background, I was dubious that you would be able to keep up. Yet you have proven yourself quite the attentive student. I want you to know that you _truly_ do have every right to be here- just as you said at lunch. Tomorrow we meet with the hairdressers in the morning. In the afternoon I will be hosting the extra review sessions for dinner etiquette. I would like for you to attend those sessions. Wednesday morning will be behavioral etiquette, which you have proved to excel in, so you are free to do as you wish all day." She grabbed her book and opened a page. "Would you like to go shopping? Miss Warner has already expressed interest. I expect you would like to be grouped with her."

"Oh, yes. That would be lovely," I said, stunned by her uncharacteristically kind demeanor. "Thank you."

She made a notation on the page she had open and closed her book shut again. She stood. "Thank you, Miss Taylor. You are free to go. The girls are gathered down the hall in the library. You'll be called to dinner shortly."

Following suit, I stood also. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Downey. I appreciate your honesty with me." I gave her a small nod of the head out of respect. Perhaps Mrs. Downey wasn't as terrible as I initially thought.

When I entered the library, the girls were complaining of hunger. A few of them actually cheered when I entered, much to my surprise.

"Oh thank heavens, we can eat now! You were the last, right?!" Vera asked.

"I- uh- yes. Yes, I was last."

" _Finally!_ "

"Hopefully they come get us soon, or else I might just go to the kitchens myself!" Gina declared.

Cynthia came rushing up to me. "Come on, we're over here. We want to hear all about your review!"

I smiled and followed her to a corner where Vera, Piri, Portia, and Malena sat. "How was your review?" Portia asked.

"Actually, it went well. I need a little more instruction on the place settings, but that's it."

"That's great!" Cynthia said.

Piri smiled. "I'll be with you in the review session tomorrow. I got nervous and forgot which fork was which!"

Portia laughed. "I'll be there too!"

"How did she treat you?" Malena pressed.

"Surprisingly well," I told her. "She was… kind to me."

" _Good_ ," she said emphatically. "You deserve a little kindness."

Just then, the doors opened and a maid entered. "Ladies, the duke and duchess request your presence at dinner."

We all exchanged looks. We were eating with the duke and duchess? Suddenly my lack of knowledge about dinner etiquette loomed over me. Was this another test? A trick? Cynthia shrugged. "I'm sure it will be fine," she assured us. "Eloise, you said the duchess was nice, right? Surely this will be nothing more than getting to know our hosts."

I nodded, feeling calmed by her words. "You're right, Cynthia. That must be all it is."

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Thanks so much for your reviews. I am so thankful for them! Hope y'all enjoyed chapter 8.**

 **I have the next two chapters done except for editing, so you should hopefully get both of those on here by mid-December. Bad news, though (bad for you- it's good news for me)... we recently accepted an offer on our house and need to be moved in 6 weeks. I won't be able to return to frequent and prompt updating until mid-January at the earliest. Just warning you! Thanks in advance for your patience!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Welcome, ladies," the duke called out. "Please find your name at the table."

After our formal etiquette lessons, I entered the dining hall with an expectation to see an elegantly arranged table topped with a lace tablecloth, adorned with flowers and twinkling candles in elaborate candelabras. Instead, simple silver candlesticks sat atop a simple starched cream cloth. I was not the only one who had expected more, for when I glanced around I saw raised eyebrows accompanied by tightly pressed lips. I made my way around the table until I found myself on the far end, staring down at my name. I glanced down the table then back to the smooth tented piece of paper that held my name. There was no mistake, I was supposed to be here, to the right of the duchess.

Once we had all found our seats, the duke and duchess took their places at each end of the table, with the duchess to my left. They gestured for us to take our seats as they sat down.

"Please forgive the casual atmosphere tonight," the duchess said. "I'm aware you were instructed in formal dining etiquette today, so I'm sure you expected dinner to reflect that. I thought you might need some time to relax a little." She gave me a wink and I gave her a cautious smile in return. I didn't want the other girls to have more reason to believe I was a spy for the duchess.

As the meal was brought out, the duke said, "I trust you all have had a comfortable stay thus far?" We nodded and gave our mutual assurance that we were indeed pleased with our stay. While we ate, the duke urged us to converse amongst ourselves. The conversation topics were a stark contrast to the argumentative lunch conversation. Instead of complaints, we spoke of literature and the balmy spring weather.

"Miss Taylor, have you been feeling better since yesterday?" the duchess asked me.

"Yes, much better, Your Grace. Thank you kindly."

"I am so glad to hear it! I don't like having ill guests."

I smiled at her. "I appreciate the tonic you shared with me. It has done wonders," I said carefully.

She returned my smile knowingly with twinkling eyes. "That's fantastic." She turned to Gina, who sat to the left of the duchess. "Miss Abbott, will you be going into the city to shop on Wednesday?"

"Yes, Your Grace, I am."

"I hope we will have good weather for the outing. I will be one of the chaperones for your trip and I'm quite excited about it!"

"If you don't mind me asking, who else will be chaperoning, Your Grace?" inquired the girl to my right, Rose Luther.

"Mrs. Downey, Mrs. Marten, and Mrs. Anderson. Mrs. Marten is the housekeeper here and Mrs. Anderson once tutored my daughters. You'll be split into groups of five unless there are any girls who don't wish to go out into the city."

"Do you know who will be in each group yet?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Luther. That is entirely up to Mrs. Downey. I won't know until Wednesday morning."

"Will you be going on the outing, Miss Taylor?" The duchess had returned her focus to me.

"Yes, I plan on it."

"You girls will love the city. The shops have such beautiful fabrics, fans, handkerchiefs… There is a gorgeous bookshop and a gourmet candy shop!" She sighed. "It's actually been a while since I was last out and about in the city. I'm thrilled to be going out with you girls."

"There's a bookshop?" I asked, my interest piqued.

"Oh, yes. It has quite the selection. Do you have something in mind?"

"Not exactly. My mother and I always read the same books at home. I think I would like to get her a new book."

"How thoughtful." She turned to Rose. "Miss Luther, what do you plan on buying?"

Rose thought for a moment before answering. "I would like to buy my sister a pair of fancy gloves. She's always begging my father for a new pair. She only gets my hand-me-downs."

"How old is your sister? Do you have any other siblings?"

"No, I don't have any other siblings. Just my sister- she's sixteen, almost seventeen." Rose gave a sweet, innocent smile that made me wonder what she was hiding. She noticed me watching and straightened her posture. Her smile never faltered as she raised her eyebrow at me. Uncomfortable, I shifted my gaze back to the duchess.

"Miss Abbott, do you have any siblings?"

"Yes, I have four brothers and five sisters."

"What a large family!" said the duchess. "Miss Taylor, what about you?"

I shook my head. "I have no siblings."

"Do you have any siblings, Your Grace?" Gina asked.

"Oh, yes. I come from a large family like you, Miss Abbott. I have eight siblings, actually."

The group surrounding me began talking of siblings and what sort of trouble they would get each other into. Despite not having anything to contribute, I enjoyed listening to the conversation.

As dessert was served, the topic switched to delicacies that could be found in the city.

"How are the sweet rolls?" I asked.

The duchess's eyes lit up. "Oh! They are incredible. You won't believe how good they are! I do prefer the molasses cookies, though. One of the shops in town tops them with the sweetest glazing. You all must try one."

"I find such sweets to be rather heavy," Rose commented.

Gina nodded politely. "I do agree, although it _is_ nice to have a special treat occasionally."

We continued with our polite chatter while our dessert dishes were taken away. Finally the duke stood. "Ladies, it has been a pleasure dining with you. The duchess and I must take our leave. I hope your day tomorrow is a pleasant one."

We stood with the duchess while they made their exit. We followed suit, making our way back to our rooms. I found Cynthia and we chatted about our dinner experiences. Cynthia had been placed closer to the duke in the seating arrangements, so we had plenty to share.

"The duchess is going to be one of our chaperones for our outing on Wednesday," I told her. "There will be four chaperones, one for every five girls."

"Truly?" she asked eagerly. "Oh, I hope we're in the duchess's group, don't you? How lovely would it be to shop with the duchess herself!"

"I _do_ hope so, actually."

"Who else is chaperoning?"

"Mrs. Downey is a chaperone, as well as two other women. I can't exactly remember their names. I think the housekeeper will be one and their daughters' former tutor is the other."

She pursed her lips and gave a thoughtful hum. "Is the housekeeper Mrs. Marten? I feel I've heard that name while we've been here."

"Oh! Yes, that's it."

She leaned in and whispered, "I don't know about you, but I've heard she's quite a grouch."

I shook my head. "I haven't heard that. How do you know?"

She shrugged. "I overheard some maids talking yesterday."

"I see. Well, let's at least hope for Mrs. Downey then!"

She laughed. We reached our hallway and made our way slowly as the other girls filed into their own rooms. "The duke seems like a very kind man," she said, changing the subject. "He was very charismatic."

"Her Grace seems to genuinely like him," I told her.

Cynthia gave me a conspiratorial look. "What makes you say that, Eloise? Did she say something interesting at dinner?" She opened our door, letting me enter first.

I was about to reply when Alice was suddenly in my path, standing just inches from my face. I jumped back in surprise as she pointed at me. " _You spy!_ " she screeched. "You weren't ill yesterday! You're such a _liar!_ You were meeting with the duchess to discuss how best to _spy_ on the rest of us!" Her nostrils flared as she yelled and her fists were balled up at her side.

"What are you talking about Alice?" Cynthia demanded.

I took another step back. "I'm not spying. I don't know what you mean, Alice."

Alice didn't buy it. She took a step forward with me, keeping close. "How else would you know that Mrs. Downey was waiting outside the door at lunch? That's a pretty wild guess to have!"

"It _was_ a guess though! It was just a coincidence! I don't even know _why_ I said it." As I spoke, I felt a sharp sting on my cheek, bringing tears to my eyes. Instinctively I turned away with my hand to my face. Cynthia pulled me back and stepped in front of me to shield me from any further attacks.

" _Alice!_ " Nora pushed her way past Cynthia and I to confront Alice. Nora pushed her sister back with both hands. "You know what this means, right?" she hissed. "You're going to go home now, Alice. You just gave up your chance, and for what? To make a point to some farm girl that's just going to end up going home?"

By now a crowd of girls had gathered around our room, but nobody bothered to speak up or help. They stood and stared at us from a distance while Alice continued to scream.

"You're a spy!" Alice repeated, ignoring her sister's admonishment completely, pushing against her sister's hands to get back to me. "Why are you here? _Why?_ You don't deserve to be here! You're just a farm girl! Nobody wants a _farm girl_ for their queen!"

"Miss Guiles!"

The duchess and Mrs. Downey had somehow joined the crowd unnoticed. Mrs. Downey pushed her way through the throng of girls to Alice and Nora while the duchess made her way to my side.

"What on earth is going on here?"

Cynthia was quick to offer an explanation. "Alice slapped Eloise!"

Mrs. Downey's eyes widened. "Is this true, Miss Guiles?"

Alice glared at us. "She is a _liar!_ She shouldn't be here! It isn't _fair!_ "

"Miss Guiles," Mrs. Downey said gravely, with a deep sigh that sounded like she was trying to not yell back. "You have just harmed another girl. You cannot continue to stay here any longer. We will have you taken home first thing tomorrow without breakfast. Now you will stay in your room until we collect you tomorrow morning. Step back from the door now."

"Come with me, Miss Taylor," the duchess said softly, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Let me get you a cool rag for your cheek. Miss Warner? Could you join us please?"

I nodded, dazed by the entire ordeal. Alice continued to yell, this time at the formidable Mrs. Downey, as the duchess led me down the hall. " _You_ would _take her side, wouldn't you!? She's spying for you, after all!_ "

To say I was stunned was an understatement. I had never been so hated before. I had never been popular among my peers, but I never been hated by anyone. Certainly not enough for them to cause me any harm- physical or otherwise.

As she led us up to the fourth floor, I realized the duchess was talking to Cynthia. "-will stay up here for the remainder of your stay. I insist. The other Miss Guiles can handle staying in a room on her own, I think." She pushed at a set of doors that opened up to an exquisitely decorated room. Two magnificently plush beds filled most of the room with two equally plush chairs by the windows. "My daughters used to share this room before they left home to start families of their own. Take a seat, girls. I'll return with a cool cloth soon." The duchess closed the door, blocking out the muffled sounds of Alice's shouts downstairs completely. The two of us stood there in the quiet stillness for a moment, taking in the splendor of the room. Cynthia finally moved towards the windows, but did not take a seat.

I heard her say something under her breath and then she looked back at me. "We have a view of the sea!" she said with awe.

"Really?"

She nodded, turning back to the window. "I suppose it makes sense. Of course the family would get the most magnificent view in the castle."

I joined her to admire the view. It was even more amazing than I ever could have imagined it. Since arriving I had only gotten the briefest of glimpses of the sea. "It's breathtaking," I said softly. We both stood in silence and stared at the sea. I was glad for the quiet after the commotion that happened downstairs.

The door opened and we turned to see the duchess entering with a basin. "Enjoying the view?" the duchess asked with a smile.

"It's amazing, Your Grace," Cynthia told her.

"I'm glad you girls like it." She set the basin down on a table by the chairs. She pulled a cloth out of the water and wrung it out. "Miss Taylor, take this. It should help ease the sting on your face."

I reached out and took the offered cloth. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"I hope this doesn't discourage you," the duchess insisted. "I would really like to see you stay for the remainder of the week."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. "Thank you," I repeated.

"Good. Once Miss Guiles sees fit to calm down, I will have a maid fetch your belongings and bring them up shortly. I hope you have a good night's sleep."

We gave her a small curtsey and she left us.

"How are you feeling?" Cynthia asked after a moment of silence.

I shrugged. "My cheek really doesn't hurt anymore. It stings a little, but I don't really think I need this." I help up the cloth in my hand.

She tilted her head with a smile. "I wasn't referring to your cheek, Eloise. How do _you_ feel? How are you doing?"

"Oh. I'm still in shock I guess."

"You don't want to leave, do you? I wouldn't blame you if you do. I mean, I dearly hope you stay, but I would understand if…" Her shoulders drooped as she let her sentence trail off. Her face betrayed the hope she felt.

"I don't know."

She stepped forward and place a hand on my shoulder. "They're making Alice leave," she said.

"Alice isn't the only one who hates me, Cynthia. You saw how many glares I got earlier."

She sighed. "I know that, but she was definitely the worst. Nobody is going to try anything now that they've made an example of her." She let her hand drop away from my shoulder. "Please, Eloise. Please stay. I know we've only known each other for a couple days, but I don't think I could be as close to the other girls as I am to you already. I know this is hard on you. I can't imagine how it feels to be in your place right now, but please stay."

I took a deep breath, surprised at how eager she was for me to stay. We got along very well, but I hadn't realized that our friendship meant as much to her as it did to me. Still, her pleadings weren't enough to persuade me. The encounter with Alice left me feeling even more like I didn't belong. "I can't make any promises," I finally told her.

"But you'll think about it?" she pressed. When I nodded, she broke into a grin and stood taller again. "Oh, thank you, Eloise. I promise you won't regret it if you stay!"

I smiled, but looked away to the window again. I wasn't sure how she could promise that, but it made me feel a little better.

* * *

 **Surprise! I decided to give you all an update a couple days earlier than I originally planned. I managed to get a couple more chapters written this past week, so hopefully I won't fall too far behind later on when we're in the process of moving. We might end up going a month without internet in January in between moving out, living with family, and moving into our new house. I want to make sure I have enough saved up that I could make a quick trip somewhere with wifi so I can upload them.**

 **ANYWAY, what did you think of this chapter, huh? I told you it would get more interesting. I have so many things in mind that I want to write for Eloise! Keep an eye out for a new chapter in December (maybe earlier if I can churn out another chapter or two)!**


	10. Chapter 10

Mrs. Downey entered the dining hall as we finished our breakfast. "Attention, ladies!" she called, though she hardly needed to raise her voice to catch our attention. The previous night's events had caused the other girls to be unusually silent. I had caught nearly every girl staring at me at some point throughout the meal and it made me uncomfortable. I was anxious to get started with our day and welcomed Mrs. Downey's presence.

"As you all know, Miss Alice Guiles left us this morning. Let this be an example to you all. You _will_ be sent home without any second chances, is that clear? I will not tolerate any sort of act that harms another girl in any way. That sort of behavior will _not_ be overlooked at the palace. Now, join me in the ballroom so we can get started with the fittings."

We all got up from the table excitedly. I exchanged excited grins with Cynthia and Portia. The other girls whispered amongst each other, no longer concerned with freezing me out. We made our way to the ballroom and took our usual seats. This morning, the other half of the ballroom was taken over by five makeshift dressing rooms. Each room was curtained off with a mirror, table, and short wooden platform inside. Five seamstresses stood by each room looking bored. Along the wall were several tables stacked with large white boxes tied with shiny red ribbons. Ms Dawson and a tall young man stood next to the table eyeing us with passive faces.

"I want to make one thing very clear," Mrs. Downey said once we had quieted down. "The dresses that were chosen for you are not debatable. Ms. Dawson has chosen each dress for you with care. You will wear these dresses to your interviews. You are not allowed to wear your own dresses. Is that understood?" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. There were no complaints or grumbles from anyone. "Good. Now, Ms. Dawson will call you up five at a time. Mr. Carey-" here she gestured to the young man "-will take your dress to one of the seamstresses for you. Ms. Dawson?"

Ms. Dawson nodded and read the name on the box closest to her. "Miss Piri Holtzer."

As Piri stood, Mr. Carey took the box and set it on the table in the farthest dressing room. Piri approached the seamstress and they entered the room, closing off the curtain behind them.

Ms. Dawson called four more names and soon all five rooms were closed off while the rest of us waited our took some time, but as each girl finished, a new name was called immediately after. Mr. Carey fetched boxes from the rooms to return to the table as well. We never saw which dress each girl was given.

"Miss Eloise Taylor."

I stood and made my way to the dressing room that Oriana Butler had just vacated. Mr. Carey took my box inside and left me with the seamstress. She was young, in her thirties I guessed, and plain. "I am Ms. Carter. Stand on the platform and we'll get started," the seamstress said, pulling the curtain closed behind me. I did as she instructed. She came around to my back and started to assist me in undressing. Once I was left in only my shift and stockings, she untied the box and lifted its lid.

She pulled out a dress I hadn't seen earlier in the week when Ms. Downey first visited. While it was still a new dress, it was not something I had expected to be given for the interviews. I didn't know much about dresses, but I knew this dress was an older style and not in fashion. Its fabric was a dull, yellow floral pattern and had no fancy adornments or embroidery on it. The cuffs and neck were trimmed in yellowed lace. It looked like a dress the older, middle-class women in Ravendale wore. I tried not to show my disappointment and embarrassment, but Ms. Carter wasn't paying attention to me.

Ms. Cartner frowned at the dress, then set it back in the box. "This must be a mistake. Surely this isn't a dress fit for these circumstances. Just one moment and I'll fetch Ms. Downey." She made a move to step out of the room through the back curtain.

As she pushed back the curtain's edge, I blurted out, "No! Please. Don't."

She frowned and let the curtain fall back down. "Why ever not? This is clearly a mistake. Don't you want something nicer than this? This style is at least fifteen years out of fashion."

I shook my head, feeling tears begin to form and threaten to fall. "It's not that. It's true, this isn't a dress I expected, but… I don't think it was a mistake. Ms. Dawson didn't like me; I think she meant to give me a dress fit for my station."

She laughed. "Don't be silly. A dress fit for your station? What on earth do you mean by that? You're here, aren't you?"

I ducked my head, not meeting her eyes. "I'm a farmer's daughter and I teach. I have a job to make ends meet! I'm not like these other girls. Ms. Dawson saw that."

"Surely she wouldn't do that. I will be right back." She left before I could argue farther.

I stood on the platform and brushed away the tears in my eyes. I couldn't let it bother me. I couldn't let anyone know it got to me.

Ms. Carter was gone longer than I would have thought it would take. She returned, tight-lipped and red-faced. She stood beside the dress and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What did she say?"

She shook her head."It doesn't matter what she said. Miss Taylor, was it? I'll tell you what: I will personally fix this dress up for you. It will be our secret. Let's get it on you and see what we can do. I promise that when it is delivered to you in two days' time, it will be fit for a girl in your position."

"Why would you do that for me? You don't know me."

"Because it's not fair. You don't deserve treatment like this. You were chosen to be here and that choice should be respected. It is not Ms. Dawson's place to decide who succeeds and who doesn't."

"Won't Ms. Dawson see you working on it and changing it?"

"No. She doesn't have enough room in her shop for all of the seamstresses to work on all twenty dresses. Some of us have to take our assigned dresses home to work on. I'll take yours to my mother. She's a dressmaker also." She lowered her voice as she pulled the dress back out of the box. "Better than Ms. Dawson, but you didn't hear it from me. Ms. Dawson is a friend of the duke's sister- that's how she got to be here."

"Why are you working for Ms. Dawson then?"

She gave a humorless laugh and shook her head. "I don't work for her. I usually work with my mother. The committee approached all of the skilled seamstresses in the city to help Ms. Dawson with this task. They're paying well, so I agreed to help. There's more than just five of us- there are ten of us in all. The first half came to take measurements on Sunday and the rest of us came today."

We were silent as she helped me into the dress. I was amazed by my luck. Would the other four seamstresses here have been so kind to me? I was meeting so many helpful people in Cliffside! First Cynthia and the girls from Gina's room, then the duchess. Even Mrs. Downey had started being kind to me. Now I had Ms. Carter's help.

Once I was dressed, I turned to look at myself in the mirror. It looked even worse on me than it did in the box. The neckline was too high and the yellowed lace looked even more yellow against my skin. I felt like an old woman with my arms and collarbones covered up completely. The dress was far more full than was fashionable anymore. "This is hopeless," I muttered.

I hadn't intended for Ms. Carter to hear, but she did. "Don't underestimate the skill of my mother and I. We will turn that dress into a masterpiece." She took the pencil from behind her ear and quickly scribbled some things on a scrap piece of paper she had pulled from her apron pocket. She stuffed them both back into her pocket and circled me. "It fits properly, so that's a bonus. We won't need to alter it at all as far as sizing goes. It needs to be hemmed a little, but it won't take much. That leaves more time to fix everything else."

"What are you going to do with it?" I was curious how she was going to transform this into anything remotely beautiful. I didn't see how it was possible.

"Do you trust me?" she responded.

I nodded, though I wasn't sure I did. "I guess I have to, don't I?" I said with a nervous laugh.

She laughed with me. "Let's get you out of this hideous thing. Remember, this is our secret. Don't tell anyone. You never know who might report back about this."

We put my dress back on and returned the other to its box. Before I left, I turned back to face my new ally. "Ms. Carter, I can't thank you enough. You pulled that dress out and I was convinced it was a sign for me to leave this place and give up. You've given me hope."

She smiled with understanding, but said, "It's nothing. I'm happy to help. I'm just fixing a dress is all."

I returned her smile and left.

After everyone was finished with their final fittings, we were split into two groups. Twelve of the girls left for lunch as usual while the remaining seven of us were directed to follow Mrs. Downey. Piri, Portia, and I were included in the remaining seven.

"Why did we get separated?" Portia whispered as we followed Mrs. Downey into the library.

Piri shrugged. "Is she starting the review already? That's all I can think it could be. All three of us have to do the review, right?"

"She wouldn't make us miss lunch for reviews, would she?"

Portia's question was quickly answered as we emerged from the library onto a large, shaded balcony. A long table was set with what was more like a fancy dinner than a lunch. Along the railing of the balcony stood seven young men and one older man. When we approached, they turned from their conversations to face us with polite smiles. I looked over to Portia and Piri. Portia stared at the ground with her cheeks glowing a soft pink. Piri noticed it too and raised her eyebrows at me.

"Ladies, welcome to lunch. I thought we could enjoy a nice afternoon out here since the weather is so delightful today. This is part of your review. I find it's often a help to learn by experience rather than from being told what to do. After lunch we will discuss what we learned and what else is needed to improve. Then we will have one more final test just like we had yesterday. We have some guests from the city to assist in our learning process. First, we have my husband, Sir Roger Downey of Cliffside. He and I will act as your hosts for the review." The older gentleman gave a nod of the head. "Next we have Mr. Thomas Bennett, Mr. Lucas Armin…"

I glanced over at Portia. She still stood with her head down, not looking at the new guests. Then I remembered she had hinted at having a beau in town. I continued to watch her closely as the remaining young men were introduced. When Mrs. Downey introduced Mr. Phineas Potter, Portia glanced up. I glanced over at Mr. Potter. He was a shorter young man and not exceptionally handsome. I saw a corner of his mouth twitch upwards when he caught Portia's eye. I nudged Piri and tilted my head in Portia's direction. She smiled knowingly and we returned our focus to Mrs. Downey.

"Gentleman, let me introduce our lovely guests. Miss Colette Westenberg, Miss Alva Wilton, Miss Piri Holtzer, Miss Eloise Taylor, Miss Portia Wright, Miss Brielle Kasbeer, and Miss Rachel Midgley. Gentleman, will you please escort the ladies to their seats?"

They approached so purposefully that I knew Mrs. Downey had assigned each of them to one of us ahead of time. Mr. Lucas Armin approached my side. He gave a slight bow and offered his arm. "Miss Taylor." His face was stoic, making it hard to tell what he thought of me.

I took his arm and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you, Mr. Armin," I said as politely and sincerely as I could manage.

The lunch went smoothly, albeit a bit long. Mrs. Downey made sure we used the correct utensils each time a new course was brought out. She made sure to explain in depth why each utensil was used for a specific dish. Mr. Armin was a man of very few words. When he spoke, he was purposeful and precise in his phrasing. The very little conversation we had was undoubtedly the most boring exchange I had ever experienced. When Mrs. Downey announced it was time for us to return to our studies with her in the ballroom, I had to resist the urge to push everyone out of the way in order to leave.


	11. Chapter 11

When we gathered after lunch to head into the city for our shopping excursion, I was surprised to find that we were walking. Though it was a short walk, I had assumed that a proper lady always took a carriage and that we would be expected to act the same. However, the duchess didn't address our lack of transportation. Instead, she spoke excitedly of what we would see while Cynthia, Gina, Sheila, and I followed her through the courtyard of the castle and out the front gates. We made our way down the central thoroughfare until we reached the central shopping district.

Cynthia tapped my arm and pointed at a small hat shop across the street. "I saw that shop when we first arrived. I would _love_ to go in there," she said quietly.

The duchess paused in front of a small perfume shop. "What are you young ladies most interested in seeing today? If I recall correctly, Miss Taylor wished to purchase a book for her mother. I am eager to stop in the bakery later on. Where else should we go?"

"Oh, Your Grace, could we please go in here?" Gina gestured to the perfumer's.

"Of course! Let's head in, shall we?"

As we pushed open the door, a bell jingled above our heads and our noses were assailed by a cloud of perfume. There were so many different kinds of scents, I could hardly distinguish any specific one from another. The smell of sharp, exotic oils mingled with soft, sweet florals. It took me a moment to adjust. Once I managed to gain control of my senses, I looked around in amazement. Sparkling crystal bottles were arranged on shelves behind the main counter next to baskets holding small paper packets and incense. Another small counter off to the side was covered with trays holding samples of the shop's products.

A tiny woman emerged from a curtain at the back. She gave a bright, eager smile. "Your Grace, what a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you on this fine spring day?"

The duchess nodded in our direction. "These lovely young ladies are guests of mine this week and they were interested in visiting your shop."

"I would be delighted to help the ladies with whatever they require. How can I be of assistance?"

Gina stepped forward. "My late grandmother had the most lovely perfume when I was a child. I adored it and have been searching for a bottle for myself, but I haven't been able to find anything even close to it. I was hoping I might be of luck here."

The tiny woman straightened and rubbed her hands together. "Oh, I do enjoy this sort of mystery! First, describe everything you can about your grandmother's perfume."

While Gina and the perfumer discussed what the mystery perfume might be, Cynthia, Sheila, and I made our way to the sample counter. I gently ran my fingers along the closest perfume bottle.

"This is such a beautiful shop," Sheila said softly. "It's much nicer than the one in Wellington. The perfumer at home isn't a very good one. I hope Gina finds what she's looking for."

The duchess approached. "Feel free to take a sniff of the perfumes, ladies. Each tray holds a different scent type." She picked up a bottle, uncapped it, and waved it under her nose. "Ah, lavender. My favorite."

Only a few minutes went by before we heard Gina squeal. "This is it! This is her perfume!"

I glanced over at the counter to see the perfumer taking a large glass bottle from Gina's hands. "Would you like to choose a bottle to take it home in?" She gestured to the rows of bottles behind her.

I turned back to the samples. Seeing the beautiful crystal bottles made me wish I could buy one for my mother. I opened up the small purse that held the allowance we were given. I glanced down in amazement. There was more money than I had ever seen at one time before. I knew that I wouldn't be going on to the palace, so I needed to save this money and not spend it all today on frivolous purchases. I pretended not to be interested while Cynthia and Sheila picked out small perfume bottles after Gina was finished, then we left the shop.

We made our way down the street to a dress shop. The duchess stopped and said, "I know you ladies have your dresses from Ms. Dawson, but I much prefer this shop myself. Don't tell Ms. Dawson, though! I just need to stop in and check on a dress that I'm having made. You can come in and take a look at their delightful selection of fabrics and ribbons. It's the best in the county and quite expansive."

We stepped inside and discovered that the duchess was not exaggerating about what they had in stock. The shop was much larger than the perfumer's. It was long and narrow, with incredibly tall ceilings. Two of the walls were completely covered by huge shelves that reached to the ceiling, stuffed with bolts of fabric in all patterns and colors. There were racks covered with ribbons and lace. The selection of ribbons was just as expansive as the selection of fabrics. We stood in awe, staring around at the shop.

Next to me, Sheila mumbled something under her breath as she looked around. Before I could ask what she said, a woman made her way from the back of the shop. "Your Grace," she called, sounding pleased. "I am so glad to see you. Are you here to check on your dress?"

"I am," the duchess replied, making her way to the counter.

While the dressmaker spoke with the duchess, the other three girls wandered around to get a better look at everything. I stood in place, still overwhelmed by the elegance of it all. Another woman appeared in the doorway separating the shop from the back room.

"Miss Taylor?" I looked at her in surprise. It was Ms. Carter, my new friend from the previous day. She quickly made her way to my side. She leaned in and said softly, "Would you like to see your dress? Mother and I have made _wonderful_ progress on it."

I glanced at the woman speaking with the duchess and realized she looked almost exactly like an older version of the young woman standing next to me. When Ms. Carter had told me that her mother was a better dressmaker than Ms. Dawson, I didn't think that her mother would have a shop of _this_ caliber. "Yes, I would love to see it," I answered.

"Follow me," she said, leading me back through the doorway. We wove between seamstresses working on dresses in various states of completion. I couldn't believe the beauty that was back here. "Here it is! It isn't finished- we still need to finish off the neckline and hem it properly, but it at least gives you an idea."

I stared at the mannequin that stood before me. If I hadn't recognized the fabric, I wouldn't have believed it was the same dress. How did they manage to transform this so quickly? Every seamstress in the shop must have worked on it late into the night _and_ again this morning! The high collar had been cut down to a more fashionable and low, yet modest, neckline. The sleeves were no longer full-length, instead stopping at the elbow. The cuffs and neckline were lined in a golden braided cord. The skirts weren't as obnoxiously full as they had been yesterday, either.

I turned to Ms. Carter, my eyes brimming with tears. "I don't know what to say," I told her. "This is- it's wonderful."

"I'm so glad you like it! Several of us started on it last night and my mother and I have been working on it this morning." Her eyes twinkled and she gave a small laugh. "Nobody likes Ms. Dawson here. Several of these women worked for her once, and when I told them about your situation, they insisted on helping."

I looked around and found that some of the seamstresses had paused their work to watch us. Each of them gave me a smile when they caught me eye. "I am honored, Ms. Carter. I don't know how to thank you. I don't think I could ever thank you enough."

"Miss Taylor? I was wondering where you went."

I turned to see the duchess standing in the doorway with Ms. Carter's mother. My new friend looked guilty, like she had been caught. "Your Grace, forgive me. I recognized Miss Taylor and offered to show her the progress on her dress for Friday."

"Ms. Carter, I am not angry. I was just startled when I did not see her in the shop." The duchess approached us, staring at the dress with a raised eyebrow. "This is the dress? I don't recall seeing this dress in the twenty Ms. Dawson brought earlier this week. Mrs. Carter? This doesn't look like one of your fabrics either."

The older woman stepped forward. "No, Your Grace, this is not one of mine. This is the dress Ms. Dawson supplied for the young lady."

The duchess let out a soft sigh, as if knowing exactly what had transpired with the dress. She then turned to me with a smile. "Miss Taylor, let's get going. I believe Miss Warner wanted to visit a hat shop."

After we had visited the hat shop and the bookshop, we stopped at the bakery. As I asked for my sweet roll, something in the case caught my eye. "I'll take a dozen of those," I added. I paid the baker and our group made our way back to the castle. As we passed the dress shop, I slipped in quickly.

Mrs. Carter looked startled to see me again. "Miss Taylor, I didn't expect to see you again. Is there something I can help you with, my dear?"

I held out the box from the bakery. "I wanted to thank you ladies for being so kind and helpful. I am humbled by the kindness your daughter has shown me. I brought these for you as a token of my gratitude."

She took the box from me and peeked inside. Her face lit up and she said, "Macarons? Oh, Miss Taylor, how kind of you! They're beautiful and look delicious. Thank you so much. We will all enjoy them very much."

I gave her a smile and ran back out the door to return to the group. They were standing with Mrs. Marten and her group of five in front of the candy shop. As I caught up, I realized there were four extra girls. Cynthia caught my eye and motioned me over with a solemn expression.

"What's going on?" I whispered. I realized the four extra girls were from Mrs. Downey's group, with Portia missing. "You look like-"

Cynthia shook her head, silencing me. She was about to say something when Mr. Phineas Potter rushed from the candy shop and made his way down the street in a hurry. Mrs. Downey followed soon after with a red-faced Portia in tow.

Mrs. Downey walked past us with purpose and made her way up the sidewalk towards the castle. "Ladies, we do not gawk. It's time to return to the castle. Come along!"

Nobody hesitated to follow her instructions. Cynthia and I followed slowly and trailed slightly behind everyone else.. Once I was sure that none of the chaperones would hear, I asked Cynthia again what happened, though I had a hunch.

"Portia was caught kissing her beau in the candy shop," she whispered softly. "She's going to the castle to collect her things and go home."

"She's being sent home?"

"Not exactly. Mrs. Downey threatened to send her home, but Malena argued that there was no rule set in place about such activities. Mrs. Downey gave in and gave Portia a choice. She told her that she could either stay and have no more interactions with her beau, or remove herself from Tyberon Castle. Portia chose to leave."

"Wow." I glanced up at Portia, expecting to see her head hung in embarrassment. Instead she walked next to Mrs. Downey with her head held high and her shoulders thrown back. "I suppose this is a relief for her then."

Cynthia nodded. "There are two fewer girls than when we started. Can you believe it? I never thought anyone would actually leave before the interviews- willingly or not."

When we arrived at the castle, the chaperones left us in the ballroom until dinner was served. Mrs. Downey escorted Portia to her room to collect her things and make sure she was taken home safely. Soon after we arrived, Mrs. Anderson's group joined us. The room buzzed with gossip and excited energy as they were informed of what had transpired in the candy shop. Some girls speculated that Mr. Potter wanted to take Portia away to the countryside right there, while others claimed they saw him get on one knee and propose before the kiss. Malena tried her best to dispel all these rumors, but nobody seemed to listen.

After a long while, Mrs. Downey strode into the room. We fell silent as she surveyed our group. "Ladies, let this be a lesson to you. You will not get off so easily if you are caught with a young man at the palace. Is that clear?" We all nodded silently. "Good. Now I don't want to hear another word of this. You don't need to worry about anyone but yourselves. Your interviews are in two days. Tomorrow we will have brief lessons on Rybeth before your dresses are delivered. I need your focus to be on those lessons. It will be part of your interviews. The more you know, the better off you are. Do not forget that." She gave a heavy sigh. "Once you return to your rooms, you are not to leave unless it is an emergency. You will stay in your own rooms- no socializing or visiting each other tonight. You are now dismissed for dinner. I will see you all in the morning."

After a very quiet dinner, Cynthia and I changed into our nightgowns and half-heartedly discussed what we might learn the next day.

"I'm going to miss Portia," I said abruptly.

"Me too."

I twiddled my thumbs. "Who do you think will go to the palace?"

She shrugged. "I honestly don't have a clue. I really think each of us here has just a good a chance as the other." She held up a hand when I was about to speak. She knew what I was going to say and added, "Even you. Come on, Eloise. You know that you're just as likely to make it as the rest of us. You did well on your second etiquette review, didn't you? The interviews on Friday are just to get an idea of who you are. Whoever gets chosen to go to the palace will have at least two years of training before a choice is made." She looked down and drew her knees up to her chest. She looked nervous and unsure all of a sudden. "I actually think you have a better chance than I do to make it."

"What? No, Cynthia, that's absurd. What makes you think that?"

She shook her head. "I don't really know. I can't quite put a finger on it. You've acted as both a leader and a friend this week. You learn quickly, adapt well, and make friends easily. That sounds like the makings of a great queen to me."

"But I'm a coward, I don't have any confidence. Nobody wants a queen like that. You, Cynthia, are amazing. You always know just what to say to everyone, but not in a bad way. You don't put on a false front; you're genuine. You have eased my worries countless times since Saturday. You knew just what to say to break the ice with Alice and Nora when we first arrived. I thought you were crazy for telling Alice that the color of her dress didn't look good on her, but she responded to that sort of thing. You're a great communicator. That's an important part of being queen, too."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely."

"Thanks, Eloise."

I shrugged. "So is there anyone you think _won't_ make it?" I asked with a grin.

That seemed to break the tension we both felt, and we continued to talk for hours- well past when we should have gone to bed. When we finally got into our beds and fell asleep, I felt more relaxed than I had all week.

* * *

 **Well, I hope this was an exciting chapter for you! I hope everyone is enjoying their winter (or summer, if you're down under), whether you celebrate anything or not. I would like to get two more chapters in before 2017, but I will definitely get at least one in for you.**

 **Also, thank you immensely to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed the story. I appreciate your loyalty and feedback. You're all wonderful people! Thank you, thank you, thank you!**


	12. Chapter 12

Thursday came and went without incident. The lessons on Rybeth were elementary at best. Everything Mrs. Downey told us were things I had both learned and taught in my little country schoolhouse. I was not the only one who was bored. Eventually Mrs. Downey realized that the lessons were of little use to us and excused us early. She allowed us the option of free time or added etiquette lessons. Only a couple of us took her up on the offer for extra review, but I was grateful I chose to join. By the end of the day, I felt more confident than ever.

When Friday morning arrived, I awoke to find Cynthia already awake and dressed. She stood with her arms crossed while she looked out the windows. Confused, I sat up with a yawn and said, "Cynthia, is something wrong?"

She turned to face me. "Oh, good morning! No, nothing's wrong at all. For some reason I woke early and couldn't go back to sleep, so I thought I might as well get dressed. I think I picked the wrong dress for the morning, though. It's awfully chilly." She rubbed her hands on her arms as she spoke.

"What time is it?" I asked, slipping out of bed.

"Almost time for-"

A knock interrupted Cynthia. "Ladies, time to get up! Breakfast will be served in half an hour."

We laughed. "I guess that answers my question." I brushed, braided, and pinned up my hair while we quizzed each other on what we learned during the week. Once I was dressed, we made our way downstairs for breakfast, where we found most of the other girls already seated and chattering about the day with enthusiasm.

"You must not be the only one who woke early," I commented.

"It appears not."

We took our seats and joined the conversations as we helped ourselves to breakfast. I noticed most of the girls had nothing on their plates except for a small piece of toast. Carina Parish, one of those particular girls, looked at my plate with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid that you won't fit in your dress?" she asked.

I looked at my plate, confused. It held one small sausage, a muffin, and some grapes. It was hardly much of anything. "I don't understand. This isn't that much food." I glanced around. Nobody was asking Cynthia about _her_ plate.

"You aren't afraid of bloating?" asked Alva Winston.

I shook my head. "No. This is as much as I've eaten all week. I don't see why it should affect me today."

They gave me one final look of bewilderment and then left me alone.

"What time are the interviews?" someone asked.

Another girl chimed in, "I think they start as soon as we're ready."

"I'm so nervous! What do you think they're looking for?"

"Beauty, obviously."

I listened to the conversations with little interest. I nibbled at my food, suddenly unsure of how much I should eat. I glanced over at Cynthia, who didn't seem bothered by the other girls' comments. She noticed my stare and leaned in. "Don't listen to them. They'll probably faint at some point during the day from lack of food. I find that I need a decent breakfast in order to have my full strength and focus on the day."

As usual, her pep talk gave me an extra boost of confidence and lasted me through the remainder of breakfast. Once we were all seated in the ballroom, however, it began to fade. Four hairdressers stood patiently beside mirrored vanity tables. The sight of them reminded me that the interviews were today and my anxiety came rushing back.

"Ladies," Mrs. Downey called, "today is the day! Congratulations on making it this far. I am impressed with the progress you ladies made this week. You should all be proud of yourselves. Now the order of events for the day: first, you will get your hair done. Once your hair is done, you will return to your rooms to get dressed. Once you are dressed, you will wait in there until you are fetched, then you will ride to the mayor's home. Either three or four of you will ride together. Once there, you will follow the directions given to you by the committee representative. After your interview is complete, you will return here to change and pack your things. You are allowed to spend any free time you have as you see fit, within the rules I have laid out. Those of you that live farther away will leave first thing in the morning and take breakfast on the road. The remainder of you will be sent home throughout the morning or after lunch. Are there any questions?"

Malena raised her hand. "I don't know if you're allowed to answer, but do you know what will be included in the interview? What sort of things they're looking for?"

"As long as you utilize what you learned this week, you will be fine. It really isn't that different from your usual Festival of Opportunity interviews. Any other questions?" When no response came, Mrs. Downey continued. "Now, I will list off each group. The first group will go to the hairdressers over there and the rest of you may wait in the library. The first group is Miss Abbot, Miss Nelson, Miss Lovejoy, and Miss Winston. Second will be Miss Westenberg, Miss Southgate, Miss Midgley, and Miss Holtzer. The third group will be Miss Taylor, Miss Warner, Miss Parish, and Miss Butler. Fourth will be Miss Guiles, Miss Kasbeer, and Miss Luther. The last group will be Miss Walden, Miss Milton, and Miss Byron. You are dismissed."

The first four made their way across the room while the remaining fourteen of us left for the library.

"You know, maybe they cut down the number of girls because they figured we would lose some during the week," I heard Rose Luther say as we entered the library.

Someone replied, "Do you really think they expected that?"

"Why wouldn't they?" someone else asked. "Maybe Alice was onto something- maybe this whole thing is set up."

Cynthia, Piri, Malena, and I ignored the conversation and moved to the back of the library.

"How long will it take to get our hair done?" I asked.

"I'm not really sure how nicely they expect it to be done. It could take a half hour or an hour and a half," Malena said with a sigh. "Some of us might miss lunch."

"I hope not!" Piri frowned. "I get frightful when I haven't eaten."

"Maybe they will have cold sandwiches for us to eat since we'll all be in different places," I offered. "I mean, it would make sense, right? At least a snack, I'm sure."

"Eloise is probably right," Cynthia said. "There's no reason to worry."

The other two nodded in agreement. Malena stood. "I'm going to find a book to read. I'm too nervous to talk. Reading soothes me. It will make the time go by faster."

"I couldn't possibly read under the circumstances," Piri said after Malena had left. "I wouldn't be able to focus long enough to read a single page!"

"I'm the same way," Cynthia said. "Eloise, what was the book you bought for your mother?"

"Oh, it was a book of modern poems. My mother loves poetry. She has several at home that my father bought for her when they were first married."

We talked of books and family, making the time go by so fast that we were shocked when Mrs. Downey came to get the second group of girls.

"Good luck!" Cynthia and I called to Piri as she left. As we watched her leave, I noticed Nora sitting in a chair by herself, staring out the window. Something about her face made me feel a little sorry for her. Without thinking, I stood up and made my way to the seat across from her.

She sat up straight and eyed me warily as I sat down. I expected her to insult me or tell me to go away, but she just watched and waited for me to make the first move. When I realized that I had to say something first, I felt my cheeks flush. I hadn't come over with a plan.

"So… No hard feelings?" I offered.

I thought I saw the corner of her mouth twitch, but it went away before I was certain. "No hard feelings," she agreed.

"What does your dress look like?" I asked. "Did you get the one you wanted?"

"Forgive me, I appreciate the gesture you're trying to make, but why are you talking to me?"

Startled, I shook my head. "Well, I-" I shrugged. "I don't really know actually. I thought you might like some company since no one else is talking to you."

Her face stayed passive as she replied, "What if I was over here alone by choice?"

I shrugged again. "I guess I figured it couldn't hurt. If you don't want me here, I can leave…" I made a move to get up, but she held out a hand.

"No. It's alright. You can stay." She relaxed her posture and leaned back into her chair. "You shrug too much, Eloise. You look weak when you do that."

"Oh. I suppose you're right. Thank you."

She looked away towards the window. "It's the least I can do." She sighed. "So. Are you a spy or not?"

I laughed. "Are you being serious?"

She nodded, still looking outside. "Yes."

"No. I'm not a spy. It was just a weird coincidence."

She looked back at me and I could see that she believed me. "Well, that's good to know." Her face finally broke and she gave me a conspiratorial grin. "You know what's funny about this whole thing? I knew you weren't a spy."

I tilted my head to the side. "Why is that funny- and how did you know?"

"Because _I'm_ the spy," she said. "Alice had no idea, either. I have a fiance back home, but my parents still insisted I come here. When I arrived, I tried to tell Mrs. Downey about it and asked to be sent home. She offered a very fine wedding gift in exchange for my assistance in watching the group when I could." She laughed. "That day at lunch, though, I almost thought for a moment you were helping her out too. _I_ knew Mrs. Downey was listening outside the door. I asked her later on if she was keeping your involvement from me, but she said she was as surprised as me. She thought I had told you! I suspect Portia was a spy too, but Mrs. Downey didn't mention it. Then she got kicked out anyway. What a foolish mistake!"

I gaped at her, shocked by her amusement at the situation. Her sister had accused me of spying and slapped me! "Alice wouldn't have hit me if you had told her."

"That might be true. It might not, though. She didn't like you from the start. It might surprise you to know, but she was strangely jealous of you. She probably would have found a reason or way to do something to you anyway. Besides, if I told her that Mrs. Downey had someone watching at all times, don't you think she would have altered her behavior?" She gave me a look as if she expected me to answer, but continued on anyway. "No, I never could have told her the truth. She may be my sister, but I do not want her as my queen. She would have played the part if she knew someone _was_ truly spying."

She yawned. "Look, Eloise, I'm sorry about Alice and what she did to you. I honestly didn't know she would _snap_ like that. She has never done that before. If I had thought she would do that, I wouldn't have allowed it to happen."

To my surprise, I felt a weird relief come over me. I felt confident in her words, and suddenly felt no animosity towards her. "Thank you, Nora."

"No problem. Now, if you don't mind, I actually _would_ like to be alone. It has nothing to do with you, I just prefer the quiet."

I stood. "Of course. It was nice talking to you," I told her.

"My pleasure."

I returned to Cynthia, who had been joined by Vera Milton. "Oh, Eloise! Come sit. Vera was just talking about her hometown of Polath. It's in County Rowan, if you recall. Apparently the forests there are inhabited by magical creatures."

Vera laughed. "It's just folklore. Nobody has actually seen these creatures. Although my gran used to insist that the tales were true."

"My father always said that fairy tales and folklore are just true stories people have forgotten. He used to love telling fairy tales. I think he was just trying to scare me from wandering from the farm."

Cynthia laughed. "What sort of fairy tales are there from Ravendale? I haven't heard of any."

"There's not really any specifically about Ravendale, but my father's parents weren't originally from Ravendale. They moved there from County Wyatonia. They're the reason why he knew so many stories. I remember when I was a little girl, my grandmother told me that her great-grandmother was a witch. Isn't that wild?"

Vera and Cynthia laughed good-naturedly. "Tell us one of your grandmother's fairy tales," Vera urged. "I love hearing those types of stories."

"Oh, I don't know. They weren't that interesting."

"Come on, Eloise! I didn't grow up hearing fairy tales. Please tell us one?" Cynthia asked.

I sighed. "Well, there's one about the fairy war."

"The _fairy_ war?" Vera asked.

"My father said back when there was magic in the world, there were all kinds of magical beings that lived in the forests beside human cities," I began. "Fairies, unicorns, witches, and wizards- that sort of thing. Most magical creatures didn't get along with witches or wizards, so they kept a safe distance from one another. One day a wizard killed a fairy who made him angry. The fairies and magical creatures declared war on the magical people. The war lasted for a century. By the time the two sides came to an understanding, the losses were innumerable. Each side was in danger of extinction, with the witches and wizards worse off than any other magical group. They agreed to a truce. The witches and wizards would blend into human society, as punishment for their crimes. All magical creatures went into hiding. They scattered across the world, vowing to never allow another war to happen. Centuries passed and eventually magic left the world altogether."

"What a story!" Vera said. "I had never heard of that one before."

"I think I might have left something out, but I can't remember. It's been a long time since I've heard the story. My father told it so much better than I can."

"It certainly is interesting," Cynthia said. "Do those stories ever make you wonder if there's some truth to them?"

I shook my head. "Not me."

Vera laughed. "I've never thought of that, either. They're just stories to keep children from wandering into the forest and getting lost."

Cynthia sighed. "I suppose you're right. Although it _would_ be amazing if unicorns were real!"

Vera then shared a couple of her stories from her childhood. We discovered we had a couple similar stories that we knew and discussed the differences. The whole time we spoke, Cynthia listened attentively, hanging onto every word we said.

As Vera finished her last story, Mrs. Downey appeared. "Group three!"

Cynthia and I bade Vera goodbye and good luck before we left the library.

When we entered the ballroom, we were rushed to the vanities and quickly given instructions to sit still and allow them to work. After nearly an hour, all four of us were finished and sent to our rooms to get dressed. A maid was waiting for us and helped me into my gown first. Once I was completely dressed, I stood in front of the long mirror that stood in one corner of the room. I hardly recognized the dress- and myself. My hair was twisted and curled into a hairstyle of which even the Winters girls would have been envious. My dress was unrecognizable. When I had first seen it, the floral fabric was a dull yellow color and boring. Now it looked bright and fashionable. For the first time, I noticed that the flowers in the pattern were a bright blue with vibrant green leaves. Suddenly I remembered the carved wooden box stashed away under my bed.

Doing my best not to trample my own dress, I knelt down to grab the box. Lifting the lid, I smiled at the sight of the beautiful necklace and hair comb. I had wanted to wait for a good opportunity to wear them, and this was as good of a time as any.

The maid had finished dressing Cynthia as I approached. "Cynthia, could you help me with these?"

She took the box from me and gasped. "Oh, Eloise! These are _gorgeous_. Did you buy them in the city? I don't remember you buying any jewelry."

"They're my mother's," I said.

She set the box down and lifted the necklace from the box and clasped it around my neck. "They match your dress so well! It's as if they were made for this dress."

"I have had some incredible luck this week," I joked.

She pulled the hair comb out and examined my hair. "Do you have a preference where it goes?" she asked as she circled me.

I shook my head. "No, you would know better than I."

She found a place and gently tucked the comb into my hair. She stepped away and clicked her tongue in approval. She broke into a wide grin and clapped her hands with glee. " _Perfect_.

* * *

 **I hope you liked chapter 12! It's actually one of my favorite of the more recent chapters. I had hoped to write another chapter before I posted this, but it had been too long since you got chapter 11, so you definitely didn't need to wait any longer, haha.**

 **I was supposed to be able to start moving into my new house this weekend, but now it's going to be another 3 weeks. Hopefully less, but doubtful. So since I am living out in the middle of nowhere at the moment, I have no wifi. I'm going to try and take my laptop to the library in a week or so to use their wifi when I can, but it might be another month before you get chapter 13. It's written, but it needs editing and stuff first. Let's hope I can get it done!**

 **Anyway, let me know what you thought of chapter 12! Once February hits, I should be back to regular updates. I hope to at least get one more chapter posted before then.**


	13. Chapter 13

**My faithful subscribers! THANK YOU! I'll let you read the new chapter, then I'll fill you in on what's going on with this story. :)**

* * *

"You know, nobody asks many questions here."

I looked across the carriage to Carina Parish. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Don't you think it's weird that we don't actually know what they're looking for in the interviews? Mrs. Downey said they're supposed to be like the Lady of Opportunity interviews, but surely there's more to it than that. We don't know anything about the prince. Isn't that a little strange? Nobody in the country knows anything about him. We're all competing for a man we know exactly _nothing_ about."

Next to Carina, Oriana Butler shook her head. "Do I need to point out that you didn't ask any questions either? Besides, why should we care about what the prince is like? We could be a _queen_ , Carina. Whatever he's like wouldn't change my mind from trying to win his affection."

"I'm sure he's a good enough man," Cynthia said. "Besides, if we don't like him when we meet him, we won't _have_ to marry him. Right? Just like the Lady of Opportunity doesn't _have_ to marry anyone. We're just given the _opportunity_."

Carina laughed. "Do you really think they would allow us to reject the prince? Seriously?"

"What are you saying? Do you not want to go through with this?" I asked.

Our carriage lurched to a stop in front of the mayor's home and I never received my answer. The footman stepped down and helped us out of the carriage. The front door to the mayor's home opened and a uniformed man appeared in the doorway. "Ladies, welcome. Please come in." He directed us to sit in the parlor and wait, then he left us alone. We sat in silence yet again, too nervous to say anything. The only sound we could hear were muffled sounds from the rest of the house and the ticking of the clock that sat on the mantel. The butler appeared again several minutes later. "Miss Oriana Butler, the committee will see you now. Please follow me."

Oriana stood with a smile and followed the butler out the door.

"This is a lovely room," commented Cynthia.

Carina's eyes darted to the door. "Yes, quite lovely. The mayor's wife has excellent taste."

Cynthia smiled. "Indeed. I can see how the close proximity to the sea influenced the style of the room, don't you?"

Carina's eyes stayed glued to the door. "The color scheme especially. The blues mirror the sea perfectly."

Confused by Carina's gaze, I looked over at the door myself. Then I saw what she must have noticed right away. The door was left ajar just slightly and I could see a shadow under the crack of the door. I realized that we had someone eavesdropping on us. Cynthia and Carina were making flattering conversation about our surroundings so that we appeared polite to our hosts.

"Do you see the sea shells and curls carved into the mantel?" I asked. "It's incredible craftsmanship."

"I've certainly never seen a room so beautifully adorned," Cynthia said.

We continued polite conversation about the room and appearance of the house. To my surprise, Oriana returned a mere fifteen minutes after she left. She gave us a beaming smile and sat down beside Carina.

"Miss Cynthia Warner, the committee will see you now. Please follow me."

As Cynthia left, I felt what little confidence I had leave me. I swallowed hard against the anxiety rising from my stomach. I stared at my hands that shook in my lap and tried to keep my thoughts off the interview.

"Is the mayor as kind as I've heard?" I distantly heard Carina ask.

"Oh, yes! He is very charismatic and agreeable."

"We had been talking of the room while you were gone. Isn't it lovely? Miss Taylor pointed out the exquisite detail on the mantel."

I looked up when I heard my name, knowing I was expected to reply. "Miss Parish noted the blues in the room mimic the blues of the sea."

Oriana nodded. "I see. Someone very creative designed this room. When you're in the dining room you should take a look at the floors. It's a beautiful parquet floor. The mayor and his wife have impeccable taste."

"The weather has been most agreeable this week, don't you think?" I asked, eager to start a new topic.

"We're from farther south, so this is a little chilly for our liking. Overall agreeable, though. The sun has cooperated quite well for us!"

Another fifteen minutes passed and Cynthia appeared with the butler. He cleared his throat and said, "Miss Eloise Taylor, please follow me."

I took a deep breath and stood, trying to hide the tremors in my hands. Cynthia caught my eye and gave me an encouraging grin. I smiled back, suddenly feeling my anxiety ebb away. I followed the butler to the dining room, where five people sat on one side of a long table. A stout, jolly-looking man, who I assumed to be the mayor, sat in the middle. Two other men and two women flanked him. They each sat with a stack of papers and inkwell in front of them. When I entered they picked up their pens, poised and ready to judge me. I scanned their faces with as bright of a smile as I could manage. To the right of the mayor, much to my surprise, was the duke.

"Please, come and stand just there," he said with a smile, pointing to a spot in front of the fireplace. I followed his instruction and curtseyed. "Miss Taylor, good to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine, Your Grace," I said.

"Miss Taylor, this is Mayor William Turnbull. To his left is his lovely wife, Mrs. Turnbull. To my right is Mr. Harris Lowell, an esteemed citizen of Cliffside and at the far end is his wife Mrs. Lowell."

I curtseyed again. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

The mayor cleared his throat. "Now, Miss Taylor, you are from Ravendale, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"How were you involved in your community?" Mrs. Lowell asked.

I pushed the nervous thoughts from my mind and answered, "I was a teacher at one of the local country schools. My mother and I have a farm, so we are not involved with as much in town as we would like to be."

"And your father? What of him?"

I looked down at my hands, then back to the people in front of me. "He is no longer with us. We lost him five years ago to a terrible illness." Even after five years, it was still hard to say out loud.

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Mrs. Turnbull said. "It's never easy to lose a parent."

"Thank you, Mrs. Turnbull."

They asked more questions about myself and lightly quizzed me on my knowledge of the country. Finally the mayor set down his pen.

"Miss Taylor, thank you for your time. I was nice to meet you. Mr. Krapf here will show you back to the parlor."

"Thank you very much. Mayor Turnbull, Mrs. Turnbull, thank you for having us. You have a lovely home."

* * *

The next day, we departed from the castle mid-morning. The duchess joined us in the courtyard to see us off and to give us a basket lunch for our journey home. We thanked her profusely for her hospitality and waved as the carriage took us into the city.

The ride was long and boring. I tried my best to sleep, but I couldn't calm my mind enough to do so. Cynthia and I were quiet for the beginning of the trip. I assumed her mind was as occupied as mine was. Finally we opened the basket that the duchess prepared for us and ate while the carriage bumped and rolled down the road. "How do you think you did yesterday?" I asked Cynthia as we ate our sandwiches.

"I'm not sure. I think it went well. For as much training as Mrs. Downey gave us, the interviews were awfully brief."

I nodded in agreement. "It _was_ odd. I had expected a much more thorough interview process." I paused, then said, "I never told you what I learned from Nora yesterday."

She tilted her head, chewing. She swallowed and raised an eyebrow at me. "Do tell, Eloise!"

"It's actually kind of funny, now that I think about it away from Cliffside. I'm sure you remember how I went over to speak with Nora in the library, right?" She nodded and I continued, "I offered up a truce of sorts. I hated to see her sitting alone. After we came to an understanding, she told me that she had known I wasn't a spy. She thought it was funny that Alice had jumped to that conclusion."

"Why did she think it was funny?"

I took a deep breath. " _She_ was spying for Mrs. Downey."

" _What?_ Nora was the spy?" She stared at me in disbelief. I nodded. "So she was the spy and allowed her sister to think you were? Maybe Alice wouldn't have-"

"I said the same thing," I interrupted. "She apologized for that. She didn't know Alice would act like she did. Nora didn't want to tell her sister that _she_ was the spy, because Alice would change how she acted and behaved in order to make it farther along. I have to say I agree with that reasoning. I wouldn't have wanted Alice to potentially be our queen either."

Cynthia frowned. "I still think that's terrible of her. Why on earth was she spying for Mrs. Downey, anyway?"

"Apparently she's engaged, but her parents made her come."

My friend let out a sharp laugh. "That seems to be a recurring theme with those girls! Portia's parents made her go, Nora's parents made her go… Even my parents would have made me go if I didn't want to." I laughed along with her, and then neither of us could stop. When we finally calmed down, Cynthia sighed. "Can I confess something to you?"

"Of course."

"I know I have come across as confident and calm, but I was actually _really_ nervous this week. I'm so glad I had you to keep me company."

"Really?"

"Yes! I was so afraid of not making friends and I was beyond terrified of the interview. It was such a relief when it ended up being simpler than I thought it would be. The truth is… I _really_ want to make it to the palace. I want to meet the prince. Even if I'm not queen- I just want the opportunity, you know?"

I blinked at her in surprise. "I had no idea, Cynthia. You did so well this week, though. I really doubt you'd be staying home. I am certain that you'll be chosen."

She beamed. "Truly? You think so?"

"Of course! You're the most deserving out of all of us. You are calm and collected. You don't let your nerves show or get to you. You didn't make a single mistake this week. You would make an amazing queen, you know."

"Oh, Eloise, thank you. You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I really hope you're chosen too. I need a friend with me! I couldn't possibly do it alone."

I shrugged. "You'll make friends, no doubt. You don't need me."

"I still hope you come with me!"

"I don't think I will."

She shook her head and glared at me playfully. "Don't say that. You are just as likely as anyone else to be chosen. Surely, after everything good that has happened this week, you still don't think you're undeserving? Did your interview not go well?"

"No, it went well I suppose… I just don't think I could possibly be chosen. I'm not special. I don't have the training or knowledge to do it."

"That's what you would learn at the palace, though."

I sighed. I didn't know how else to put it to her. I felt a strange twist in my stomach as I told her, "I really don't think it's going to happen. Next week I'll get a letter saying that I wasn't chosen, and then I can go back to teaching."

She just shook her head yet again and didn't press it any further. We finished our lunch, though I could barely get another bite down. My stomach felt odd and my chest felt tight. I wrapped the remainder of my sandwich and tucked it into the basket. I leaned back against my seat and wrapped an arm around my midsection. I rested my head against the window, the cool glass a relief, and fell into a deep sleep, accompanied by multiple vivid dreams.

I sat on a comfortable sofa in an unfamiliar room that was more exquisite than I ever thought a room could be. My whole house could easily fit into this room- roof and all. I looked around, in awe of everything. Everything seemed gilded: the walls, doors, ceiling, all the furniture, and even the giant piano. Sun shone through giant windows so bright that I couldn't look past the light to see where I was. Paintings covered almost every inch of space on the walls. There was a giant, vibrant and plush rug in the middle of the room.

The door swung open and a man strode in, not seeming to see me. He stormed over to a desk and sat down in the chair. He picked up a gilded pen and dipped it into the inkwell. He scratched hurriedly on the paper before him. I watched him with curiosity, forgetting I was in a dream. His hair was dark and curly, slicked back and out of his eyes. He wasn't incredibly handsome, but there was something energizing about him. He appeared to be a few years older than me, ten years at the very most. I was eager to get a better look at his face.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

The pen continued to scratch on the paper and the young man gave no indication that he heard me.

I cleared my throat. He seemed to be very focused on whatever he was doing. I thought perhaps he might not have heard me, so I spoke louder. "Excuse me? Sir?"

His pen paused for a moment and he seemed frozen, then he looked up and looked directly at me. He frowned, a look of confusion spreading across his features. His gaze moved from me to sweep the room.

"Is anyone here?" he called out.

"You just looked at me," I said, waving my hand at him.

"Diana? Is that you?" He growled in annoyance. "Stop hiding and playing tricks on me. Leave me alone." Without waiting for a response, he returned his pen to paper.

I stood up and made my way over to him. "Sir?" I asked quietly. "Can you hear me?" There was no response and I thought for a moment that I must be invisible. I reached the desk and looked down at the paper before him. His script was messy and rushed, but legible. It was addressed to a duke whose name I didn't recognize. Before I could properly scan its contents, the man crumpled the letter and groaned. He looked like he was anxious about something. He seemed to carry so much pain and worry in his face. As I reached out to touch his hand, the room dissolved around me and left me in darkness.

An echoing voice called out through the darkness. I strained to figure out what it was saying. Without warning, my body ached and felt unbearably hot. The voice echoed again, this time closer. I felt my limbs tremor slightly and I was suddenly freezing cold and my head ached like I had never felt before. Once again the voice spoke, but so loud that my head felt like it would burst. Then absolute silence.

* * *

 **Y'ALL! What did you think? Please let me know! I am dying to know.**

 **So. I know that this update is BEYOND overdue. Turns out that our house doesn't have cable ran to it and we currently don't have the funds to pay for that plus pay for wifi every month- and since I live in the middle of nowhere, there's nowhere that has free wifi. It's been a WEIRD 3 months. ANYWAY, I should be able to make it to my mom's every once in a while when I'm free. So hopefully I can get back on track. Thanks for your patience! I'm working on more chapters, so once I get another 2 written, I will update again. Thanks again!**


	14. Chapter 14

At first I thought I was dreaming again. Even though my eyes were still closed, I knew I was in a bed, covered with quilts, and propped up slightly by pillows. It felt familiar and welcoming. Then I heard two voices, speaking soft and low beside me.

"She still hasn't come close to waking."

"What did the doctor say?"

"He can't quite figure out what it is. Possibly scarlet fever."

"Scarlet fever? Oh, I hope not… It's so hard to come back from that."

I felt a hand on my forehead. One of the voices spoke in a shocked and excited tone. "Her fever is gone!"

Someone took my hand and squeezed it. "Oh, Eloise!" It felt strangely nice, and I smiled.

"Eloise! Are you awake?"

I gave a weak moan in reply. It was all I could do. I couldn't seem to speak or make any other noise.

"She's awake! You're awake!"

The voices became clearer and I realized it was Cynthia and my mother speaking. I slowly opened my eyes. I was at home in my bed with my mother and Cynthia, who held my hand, by my side. I still couldn't find the strength to speak just yet, so I gave them a questioning look.

"Do you want water?" Mother asked.

I nodded and Cynthia stood. "I'll go get a glass, Mrs. Taylor. You stay here."

"Thank you, Miss Warner."

As Cynthia rushed out of the room, Mother grasped the hand that Cynthia had been holding. "Oh, I was so worried."

I tilted my head in a question.

"You want to know what happened, I assume?" I nodded in reply. "Well, Cynthia said you fell asleep in the carriage on your way home from Cliffside, but when you arrived at Cynthia's home, you wouldn't wake. She insisted that she would stay with you while they brought you back here. She's been such a help, Eloise. I'm so glad you made such a close friend. She has hardly left your side. It's been four days! I finally told her to stay with her own family yesterday. She came back after lunch and insisted that her family would be fine without her. She spent last night in here, keeping watch over you."

I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I knew I had made a friend, but I had no idea that she felt so strongly about me. I was amazed. I never thought that anyone other than family could be so caring towards me.

Cynthia came back with a glass of water and handed it to Mother.

"Here, try to drink." She lifted the glass to my lips and helped me drink. The cool water soothed my throat and I immediately felt relief. I drank as much as I could in small sips until I couldn't any longer.

"Thank you," I managed to whisper.

Cynthia smiled. "Should I heat up that broth?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, my dear. That would be so helpful."

She nodded and rushed out again.

To me, Mother said, "You need to get something in you to build up your strength. We managed to give you spoonfuls here and there when you seemed able, but not nearly enough."

I nodded. My stomach rolled with hunger.

"The doctor isn't sure what illness you have- or had. It seems similar to scarlet fever, but there's no rash or redness. It's so strange. I'm not sure what to make of it, either. You had a terrible fever, you tossed and turned as if you were having nightmares, and you sometimes fought against the doctor. He should be coming by in a couple hours to check in again."

"What time...?" I asked.

"What time is it?" she finished for me. I nodded. "It's just after lunch- and it's Wednesday." She brushed some stray strands of hair away from my face. "Oh, my sweet girl, I was so worried about you." I gave her a smile.

Cynthia poked her head in. "The broth should only be a couple more minutes."

"Thank you, Miss Warner."

"Mrs. Taylor, I wish you would call me Cynthia."

I gave my mother a lopsided smile. My mother had always preferred more polite terms. If it had been anyone else, I knew my mother would never waver from her principles. Cynthia, however, would eventually wear her down. I just knew it.

"Thank you, Miss Warner," was all she said, and Cynthia retreated back to the kitchen.

The room felt stuffy and warm. "Water?" I croaked. Mother obliged and helped me to drink again. When I was finished I asked, "Open a window?"

"Of course, my dear." She stood and opened the window closest to my bed. A soft breeze floated into the room, carrying the smells of spring. I took a deep breath and smiled.

It took me two days to regain enough strength to walk without assistance. It felt like it took forever to be able to accomplish anything, but the doctor assured me that I was making remarkable progress for having been so ill. Cynthia continued to visit, walking over in the morning after breakfast and leaving after dinner. She brought food each day and helped mother prepare both lunch and dinner, much to my surprise. When I admitted as much, she told me she had enjoyed spending time in the kitchen at home and learned many things from their long-time cook.

We usually sat outside or in the parlor and just talked. Sometimes we even went out by the clothesline while she helped mother hang laundry. My friend never ceased to amaze and surprise me. Despite her constant presence, she never seemed to overstep or overshadow my mother. She always seemed to know exactly what and how much to do, but never made my mother feel useless. She proved to be a very hard worker and eager to help with all things.

Friday night after Cynthia had left, Mother and I sat in the kitchen drinking tea.

"We haven't really talked about your stay in Cliffside," she commented. "What did you think of it? Are you glad you went after all?"

I laughed and joked, "I wouldn't have met Cynthia otherwise, so I certainly am glad I went." She laughed with me. "It was hard, but overall I don't regret it."

"How was your interview? Do you think…" She let her question trail off, unsure of whether to finish.

I frowned. "I never thought it would go well. When I arrived in Cliffside, I thought I would be seen as a poor farm girl and come home knowing I would stay home forever."

"And now?"

"I guess I… I think there might actually be a chance that I could be chosen."

She didn't say anything at first. She stared down at her tea, and I realized that maybe I had been wrong. I had always assumed she wanted me to be a Lady of Opportunity. She sighed and looked up at me. "I am so proud of you, Eloise. No matter what happens, I will be happy."

"If I am chosen…" I stopped, nervous. I took a sip of tea and tried again. "If I am chosen, I don't know what I would do. I don't know if I should accept it."

She gave me a smile. "I won't make you stay."

I was about to argue and tell her that's not what I was worried about, when I realized that I _did_ want to go to the palace. I wanted to be chosen and given the opportunity to learn and grow. I was terrified of the thought, but I wanted it nonetheless.

"I know you won't, Mother."

Cynthia came back the next day to find me doing chores like usual.

"Eloise! What are you doing?" she cried as she walked into the kitchen.

"I'm putting firewood away, Cynthia," I told her nonchalantly as I carried a log from outside into the kitchen.

"You should be resting!"

I dropped the log onto the pile and gave her a shrug. "I woke up feeling like the old me! I wasn't sore anymore and I didn't run out of breath walking from my bedroom to the kitchen. I've been awake since dawn and haven't gotten tired yet."

She stared at me as I went out to grab another log and carried it through the door. She ran up and grabbed it from me. She grunted at the weight of it and carried it over to the pile, dropping it with a huff. She turned and glared at me."I don't care how well you feel! You need to rest! I don't want you to get ill again!"

I shrugged again. "Really, I feel great! I feel better than before I got sick, actually."

"It's only been a week since you _got sick_!" she protested. "A week! And it's only been three days since you woke. Sit down!"

I obeyed, humoring her. "Cynthia, I am _fine_. Even Mother is letting me work."

She glared at me. "Does she know you're lifting firewood?"

I blushed. "No…"

"Exactly. Now, what are you _supposed_ to be doing? What did she _allow_ you to do?"

"She said I could wash the dishes. But I got that done already!"

"Then let's take a break," she insisted. "Come on, let's go sit outside."

We went out and sat in the shade of a tree by the barn. Mother was putting sheets out on the line and waved at us.

"She really likes you," I told Cynthia.

She smiled. "I wish my mother were more like her," she confessed. "My mother is fairly… absent. That's why I'm more than happy to come here. I don't have anything to do at home other than embroider."

"I'm sorry."

She sighed. "It's fine. I didn't have a _bad_ childhood. My parents are good people. They're just not very nurturing is all. I don't blame them for it."

"Do you know when we'll hear from the committee?" I asked, sensing her discomfort.

She shook her head. "I thought we'd hear by now. I believe Mrs. Downey said within a week after our interviews."

"Huh."

We sat silent for a bit and listened to the birds chirp away in the tree limbs above us.

"I was thinking about what Carina said."

I looked over. "What do you mean? What did Carina say?"

She leaned against the tree trunk. "When we were traveling to the mayor's house. Do you remember? She said nobody asks questions. Nobody knows what the prince is like."

"I remember now. What about it?"

"I don't know. I guess it _is_ a little strange that we don't know anything about Prince Daniel."

I thought about it for a moment. "I don't see why we _would_ know anything about him. I mean, we don't really know much about the king or queen either, do we?"

"At least we know what they look like, more or less. Their portrait is hung in every school and city hall, right?" I nodded. "But we don't know anything about the prince. What if…"

I waited for her to continue, but she didn't. "What if… what?"

"What if he's awful? What if he isn't handsome or kind or even smart? Maybe _that's_ why he isn't marrying a foreign princess. Maybe none of them will marry him! It was never explained why they're doing this instead of arranging his marriage."

I stared at her, shocked. For the two weeks we had known each other, I had never heard Cynthia be so pessimistic. "Cynthia, this isn't like you. What's going on?"

She fidgeted. "I don't know. I'm so nervous. I get anxious easily- and not hearing about the committee's decision is driving me mad."

"Everything will be fine. I'm sure we'll hear back from them soon! Besides, I'm sure the prince is fantastic." I felt odd saying it, so I backtracked. "Even if he isn't _fantastic_ , he's probably agreeable enough. You never know! You might fall in love with him. You might complement each other perfectly!" I gave her a big smile and hoped it would lift her spirits.

She nodded and sighed. "You know what? You're right. I'm sure it will be fine! I'm worrying for nothing. I'm being silly."

"You aren't being silly. You're just letting your emotions get the best of you." I stood up and held out my hand. "Let's do something to get this off our minds. Sitting around idly won't do us any good. Maybe we could walk to town."

She took my hand and stood with me. "I'm not sure going to town is a good idea with your recovery…"

"I _promise_ I'll be fine, Cynthia. Let me grab some pocket money and we can get something delicious."

"Fine. The moment you feel the least bit poorly, though, we're coming straight back."

"Agreed. Go tell my mother our plans and I'll be right back."

Our walk to town was at a leisurely pace to keep Cynthia's worries about my health at bay. When we arrived in town, we poked our heads into the various stores to see if anything caught our fancy. I kept the conversation as light and simple as possible. We spoke of our childhoods and our favorite foods. It felt strange to know that we both grew up in the same town, yet our perceptions of it were completely different.

As we exited the bakery with our goodies, a tall, elegant woman approached us.

"Cynthia," she said evenly, her face passive and drawn at the same time.

My friend straightened her posture.

"Mother."

Cynthia's mother looked me up and down. "And you are…?"

"This is Miss Eloise Taylor, Mother. Eloise, this is my mother, Mrs. Warner."

"So this is who you've been spending your time with," Mrs. Warner said, still not expressing any emotion or reaction to us.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Warner," I said, dipping my head to her with respect.

Her lips twitched. "Yes, a pleasure." She turned to Cynthia. "Have you heard back yet?"

"No, I have not."

Mrs. Warner stared at us for a moment before saying, "I see. Perhaps you should stay home tomorrow just in case, hm? It appears Miss Taylor is doing well now. I think she can spare you for a couple days."

"Yes, Mother."

"Good. Enjoy the rest of your day, girls."

* * *

 **Y'all! I have fantastic news! Three words: I. Have. Wifi!** Do you know what that means? I can finally return to writing new chapters (I use Google docs which normally can be used offline, but my dumb laptop was making it act up) and UPDATING REGULARLY.

 **Please review!** Let me know what you thought, what you think might happen. Have any guesses or critique for me? Let me know! I always try to send everyone who's a registered user a reply to their review. **I seriously appreciate any and all feedback.**

Also, **as a reward for your patience** , I'll be uploading chapter 15 sooner than I would normally. Keep an eye out!


	15. Chapter 15

Mother and I spent both Sunday and Monday alone. We did a lot of work on our gardens to keep ourselves distracted from Cynthia's absence and the lack of communication from Cliffside. Tuesday night we had my uncles and their families over for dinner. We had a wonderful meal and discussed what the year would look like for our farm. We agreed on how the work would be split up and how we would share the profits among our families. By Wednesday morning I still had not received word on whether Cynthia and I were chosen for the palace or not. To my delight, Cynthia arrived late in the morning to spend lunch with me.

"Sorry my mother isn't here, Cynthia," I told her as I placed our lunch on the table. "She had a friend to visit. I'm not sure when she'll be back."

"Oh, that's alright. I just needed to get out of the house."

I smiled and sat down at the table with her. "How is your mother handling herself?"

She laughed. "Oh, she is absolutely beside herself! She's written seven drafts of a letter she wants to send to the committee in Cliffside. I keep trying to remind her that such a letter would hurt my chances rather than help anything. Not to mention it would be an embarrassment to her if her letter arrived in Cliffside _after_ the committee had sent their own letters out. She is furious that they're treating us like this and making us wait."

"Goodness! My mother hasn't said a word about it."

"Lucky! It's all mine will talk about."

I took a sip of my tea. "Why _do_ you think it's taking so long?"

She shook her head. "I really don't know. Do you think they're having a hard time making a decision? I suppose there _were_ a lot of really good candidates in our group."

"I don't know. I felt like there were a couple that were better than others."

Cynthia laughed. "Like who?"

"For starters, you. Obviously."

She scoffed. "Sure. Who else?"

"Piri. And…" I shifted in my chair and sighed. "Okay, you're right. There were a lot of good candidates."

"Exactly."

I groaned. "I just want to know! I want to be able to make plans. I want to know if I'm going to return to teaching or not!"

She smiled. "Have you visited your school at all since you've recovered?"

I stood to clear the table and said, "Not yet, and I'm not sure if I should. I'd like to visit, but I don't want to disturb their studies. They're _very_ easily distracted and love to get off topic. You should have heard them the day before the festival. If I went now, they would never stop asking if I'm going to be a princess- or queen."

As I grabbed the dishes to clear the table, a knock came at the door.

"Cynthia, do you mind?"

"Not at all." She stood and left the room to greet the visitor.

As I stacked the plates in the basin to soak, Cynthia rushed back into the room. Her eyes were wide and startled. "It's Mr. Farley!" she said breathlessly.

"Oh! I'm not- I look- ugh!" I quickly fumbled with my apron and tossed it on the floor. "I guess I look as good as I can."

We returned to the parlor where Mr. Farley stood waiting. He looked around the room, visibly uncomfortable.

"Mr. Farley, a pleasure to see you again. Would you like some tea?"

He shifted his gaze to me and blinked at me blankly. "Er, no. No, thank you."

Cynthia and I exchanged glances as we waited for him to explain his presence.

"How can we help you, Mr. Farley?" Cynthia finally asked.

He cleared his throat and mumbled uncomfortably, "Normally we like to address each lady separately."

We exchanged glances once again. "Would you like me to step outside so you can address Miss Taylor alone?"

He grunted. "No. So it seems, you both get the same message."

My heart leapt. This meant that no matter what the outcome was, I wouldn't lose my new friend. I gripped Cynthia's hand and we waited anxiously for Mr. Farley to tell us our fates.

He held out official-looking letters. "Miss Warner, Miss Taylor, I am honored to inform you that you have been chosen to spend the next two years at the palace…"

He continued to speak, but I didn't hear him. I was going to the palace? I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Even more startling was the fact that I felt an intense joy about the outcome. I glanced over at Cynthia. Her face was adorned with a bright and eager smile. She squeezed my hand as she listened closely to what Mr. Farley was saying. I returned my focus to him as well.

"...which means you are no longer an average citizen of Rybeth. Should you accept, you will officially hold the title of Lady Cynthia Warner and Lady Eloise Taylor. Everything you need to know is in your letters. Please write to me with your answer. Congratulations." He didn't wait for us to speak and left the house quickly.

After a moment, Cynthia and I turned to each other.

"We did it, Eloise! _We did it!_ "

We wrapped our arms around each other in a tight hug.

"I can't believe it, Cynthia! Someone thinks that _I_ could be a princess- or queen!"

She grinned. "I told you! You underestimate yourself!" We squealed and jumped around with joy.

Once we calmed down and caught our breath, I gave an embarrassed laugh. "So… Did you hear anything he said? I seemed to have lost consciousness for a moment after he said we were chosen!"

She laughed with me. "I just barely heard what he said myself! He said something about having two weeks to get prepared for the trip to the Celestial Palace near Silver Hills."

"Two weeks? That's not long. I'd have thought we would have a little longer."

"Actually, my mother had estimated that we would have a week." She carefully broke the wax seal on her letter and opened it. "Look, Eloise! Piri made it in! And Lily Southgate."

I opened my letter and skimmed the page myself. "I guess Fern's parents didn't get her a spot at the palace like she thought they could!"

Cynthia grinned. "I should go tell _my_ parents. They will be overjoyed." She paused, then corrected herself. " _Mother_ will be overjoyed anyway."

"Yes, go tell your mother the good news! I'm just going to wait for mine here."

"I'm so excited we're going together, Eloise! It will be _so_ nice to have a friend there."

I gave her a parting hug. "Agreed. I don't think I could go through it alone. As much as I like Piri, she's not you."

It was another hour before my mother arrived back at the farm. I was sitting in the sun trying to improve my knitting skills as she made her way up the lane. I waved as she approached and placed my knitting in the basket at my feet. She lowered herself in the chair beside me and smiled.

"Cynthia stopped by for lunch while you were gone."

"Did she? That's lovely. Did you have a good time?"

I nodded. "How was your lunch?" I asked, deflecting her attention while I could.

"We had a lovely time catching up. Mrs. Malone says hello."

I smiled. "I do like Mrs. Malone. She's so kind."

Mother laughed. "You only say that because she used to give you sweets any time we visited!"

"She still does! What can I say? I love sweets!"

"You always have."

We sat in silence for a few moments while I summoned the courage to tell her what had happened while she was out.

"I may have downplayed how my lunch went," Mother said suddenly.

I blinked at her, startled. I had been about to say the exact same words. "How so?"

"Mrs. Malone's widowed brother was visiting from Wadswell. Mr. Joseph Towne." She hesitated for a moment. "He's looking to remarry."

"Is that so?"

She nodded. "Mrs. Malone asked me to meet him ages ago. It never seemed like the right time. I didn't know he would be there today, actually. He had no idea I would be there either. He said his sister had been pushing him to visit for quite a while also. He had no interest in meeting anyone either." She paused, then continued hesitantly, "I've agreed to start seeing him on occasion. He seems like a very, very nice man. He has five sons, all grown. The youngest is a year younger than you."

I stared down at my lap while I processed what she had just said. I was surprised to find that I was actually happy for my mother; I had always imagined I would be upset it if she ever chose to remarry. My father was irreplaceable. I returned my gaze to her and realized she was looking at me with concern.

"I know this must be a shock. Eloise, I want you to know that I wouldn't consider this unless I truly thought he was a decent man."

I smiled and reached out to grasp her hand. "Mother, you don't need to worry about me. It's been a fair amount of time since Father passed. You deserve to be happy again."

She looked relieved, but said, "Oh, darling, but I'm not unhappy."

"You know what I mean. You deserve companionship. Is that better? If he's a good man, then who am I to complain?" I chuckled. "You have my blessing, Mother."

She squeezed my hand and gave a soft laugh in return. "How did I ever get such a wonderful daughter?"

I shrugged. "I did have wonderful parents."

"You made it easy for your father and I to be that way, you know."

We sat quietly for a moment before Mother made a move to get up from her chair. "I should-"

I quickly blurted, "Wait! Don't get up. I _may_ have mislead you about my lunch as well." She gave me a quizzical look and eased herself back into the chair. I took a deep breath and began, "Cynthia and I were clearing the table when there was a knock at the door." I pulled the letter from the knitting basket by my feet. "It was Mr. Farley. Cynthia and I were chosen to go to the Celestial Palace near Silver Hills." I handed the letter to her, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Eloise! I can't believe you didn't tell me the minute I returned!" She opened the letter and scanned its contents. "This is incredible!"

I smiled and took a shaky breath, finally meeting her eyes. "So what do you think?"

"I think it's an amazing opportunity for you!" She grabbed my hand again. "Do you want to go? Will you accept?"

"I think so." I paused. "No, that sounds like I'm unsure about it. Yes. Yes, I will accept if you are agreeable to it."

She gave me a soft grin and placed her hand on my cheek. "My dear, I am agreeable to whatever your heart leads you to do. If this is what you want to do, then it is what I want also."

I shot her a mischievous glance. "Does Mr. Towne know that he's courting a woman whose daughter is in the running to be queen some day?"

She shook her head with a good-natured laugh. "No, he does not, actually. Mrs. Malone said she told her brother that you are a teacher and said nothing else."

"He'll be in for quite a surprise, then."

"Indeed!" She stood and gave a long, thoughtful sigh. "Eloise, I am so proud of you and who you have become. You are an amazing young woman. I am so honored that I get to be your mother."

I felt several tears run down my face. "I'm only as good as the ones who raised me."

The next morning I walked to town so I could get my acceptance letter to Mr. Farley to the post office as quickly as possible. It seemed that word had spread quickly overnight; it seemed that everyone in town stopped to congratulate me and even gave me small gifts. By the time I actually reached the post office my small satchel was full of sweets (thanks to Mrs. Malone) and other tokens from the townspeople. I had to dig through it all in order to get to my letter. The postmaster gave me a wide grin and offered to mail it free of charge with the highest priority.

As I walked out of the door, I nearly collided with Cynthia.

"Eloise, what perfect timing!"

I smiled at her. "Sending your acceptance to Mr. Farley?"

She laughed. "Oh, no. My mother made me write it immediately and mailed it herself yesterday afternoon." She held out two crisp, folded letters. "No, actually, I was about to mail these to you."

"What are these?" I asked.

"One is an invitation to Sunday dinner with my family. The other is a letter from me."

"I'm invited to Sunday dinner?"

"Mother is nothing if not proper. Since you are now a lady like me, it was important to her that she invite you over as soon as possible."

I let out a long breath. "Well, I suppose that makes sense."

"And fair warning: she invited my brother also."

I frowned. "Your brother? Will his family join us also?"

She shook her head. "No, he is a bachelor- the youngest of my brothers. He does have his own place in town, but we rarely see him. He's very business-oriented and doesn't spend much time doing anything other than helping my father run his businesses. It's driving my mother mad that he isn't married yet- or even seriously courting anyone. She may be trying to sabotage your likelihood of 'getting the prince,' as she would say."

"I don't understand."

"She sees you as a threat. She will try to push my brother into an attempt to woo you, no doubt."

I scoffed. "Why would she want to do that?"

"She seems to have some strange idea that there's more to you than meets the eye. She's right, of course. You're so much more than a farmer's daughter. You are a farmer's daughter and an incredible person." She waved her hand dismissively. "No matter what, I don't think you'll need to worry. My brother has confessed that he would be perfectly content to be a bachelor for the rest of his days. I don't think he ever wants to settle down with anyone. He won't even take in a dog for company."

"I see." I held up the letters. "So what do I need to know about this dinner?"

She pointed at them in response. "I wrote it all in there, but my mother is expecting you to be just as proper as a lady should be. I hate to admit it, but it almost sounded like this would be more entertainment for her than just good manners." She blushed. "I should apologize- I got a little carried away with my letter. It comes off as a little bossy. I would wear your dress from Cliffside from the interview; it's surprisingly beautiful on you, considering the fabric your seamstress had to deal with. Try to get your hair done as nicely as possible. If you want, I can send someone over to help."

"Oh no, that's alright. My mother is actually really talented at styling my hair."

"I miss her. Tell her hello for me?"

"Of course! She doesn't say it, but she definitely misses having you around also."

She glanced around and up at the clock tower. "I need to get going. I wish I could come visit again, but my mother has me on a pretty tight schedule until we leave. She's making me go through even _more_ lessons and training while I'm here. I honestly don't know what she's expecting to accomplish. There's not much else I can learn here!"

"Maybe she hopes they will take one look at you and send the rest of us away."

She laughed. "You are probably right, actually. I'll see you on Sunday, Eloise."

"See you then, Cynthia."

Later, I sat down with my mother at home. "My goodness, so many expectations," she commented when I showed her the letters.

"She knows exactly what looks best on me," I said. "Apparently her mother likes everything proper and high-class. Cynthia just wants her mother to approve of her choice in friends, I think. She's truly a good friend- she's just nervous is all."

"Hmph." She set Cynthia's letter down and sighed. "Do you want to have Cynthia's hairdresser to come do your hair?"

I laughed. "No. You do such a fine job! I don't need a fancy stylist to help me do something my own mother can do."

She smiled softly. "My dear, you would make a wonderful leader."

I returned the smile, surprised that her comment didn't make me as uncomfortable as I thought it might.

* * *

 **Told you I'd have an update sooner rather than later! I assume the news Eloise got in this chapter didn't come as a surprise to any of you. I am so excited! The story is really coming along nicely. Can't wait to update again soon! Let me know what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16

"Eloise! You're here!"

Cynthia tugged at my arm impatiently as I made my way through the door and past their butler. "My mother _will not_ stop bothering me about you. Nelson, I'll take her to the parlor. Thank you." The butler closed the door behind us and made his way to the back of the house.

"Am I late?"

She glanced down the hall at the grandfather clock. "Early, actually. Walter isn't even here yet." She noticed my confused expression and elaborated, "She just wants to know everything about you that I can tell her. Even though I have told her everything already."

I remained silent for a moment before speaking. "...Your brother's name is Walter Warner?"

She laughed. "That's what the look was for?"

"Yes, actually."

"Oh! Yes. My brother's name is Walter Warner." She rolled her eyes. "It's actually a family name. My father promised his mother they would name at least one of their sons Walter, much to _my_ mother's dismay. After four boys, my mother was certain that she was expecting a girl, so she promised my grandma she would name the baby Walter if he was a boy. She was disappointed when she found out she was wrong."

"Why didn't they just refer to him by his middle name?"

"Oh, none of us have middle names. Another family tradition."

"I see."

A voice called from the parlor. "Cynthia?"

Cynthia's shoulders drooped momentarily. "Coming, Mother."

I followed her into the parlor where Mr. and Mrs. Warner were sitting.

"Eloise, you've met my mother, Mrs. Warner. This is my father, Mr. Warner. Father, this is my good friend Lady Eloise Taylor."

Mr. Warner was a tall man, like his wife, but significantly less regal in his overall appearance. His face was plain and conveyed obvious boredom. "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Taylor," he said dryly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Warner. Lovely to see you again, Mrs. Warner."

Mrs. Warner nodded in acknowledgement. "Indeed."

Behind us, a voice called from the doorway. "So are you going to be a queen or…?"

Cynthia's face lit up and spun around. "Wally!"

I turned to see Cynthia embracing her brother warmly. Walter was surprisingly short; he equaled me in height, and his thin build made him appear even smaller. If it weren't for his blonde hair and cheerful grin, I wouldn't have known he was related to the three other Warners who stood before me.

Almost imperceptibly, Mrs. Warner shot me a look before saying, "Yes, Walter, your sister is going to be Queen of Rybeth someday. Soon, I'm sure."

"Oh, not Cynthia. I was talking to our guest."

Startled, I stared at the youngest Mr. Warner in confusion.

He winked at me before continuing, "Calm yourself, Mother. I was only joking." He stepped away from his sister to give me a small bow of acknowledgement. "Lady Taylor, I presume?"

Cynthia jumped at the opportunity to introduce me before her mother could. "Brother, may I introduce Lady Eloise Taylor? Eloise, this is my brother Mr. Walter Warner."

"A pleasure, Lady Taylor."

Despite myself, I blushed at his charming disposition. "Indeed, Mr. Warner."

"Oh please, call me Walter."

I felt Mrs. Warner's eyes burning into the back of my head. "I would prefer Mr. Warner," I said carefully.

His eye narrowed and his lips twitched. He knew I was trying to please his mother. "As you wish, Lady Taylor."

While we exchanged general pleasantries until dinner was served, I found myself falling into step with the Warners quite easily. Walter put his mother back in her place several times when she attempted to catch me in some sort of trap. I was surprised by his charisma and skillful way of deflecting his mother. When Cynthia had said he was focused on his father's businesses, I had expected Walter to be rigid and dull. Although I wasn't interested in him romantically, I found myself drawn to him in the same way I had been drawn to Cynthia.

Mrs. Warner must have noticed, because as the evening progressed, she became less and less subtle in her attempts to get Walter and I close. At dinner, she had me seated beside him and kept peppering me with facts about her youngest son.

"Lady Taylor, did you know that my son has quite the knack for numbers? He is quite skilled and is immensely intelligent."

"Is that so?" I asked. "That's a very practical skill to have, Mr. Warner."

Walter suppressed a smile. "She exaggerates. I am not a simpleton, but I am also not all that clever."

"Oh Walter, do not sell yourself short! You are the most intelligent of all my sons."

"Mother. You know that is just not true. Geoffrey is the most intelligent of us."

She took a sip of her wine and gave me a smile. "I do wish he would settle down and get married. He would make any young woman very lucky. He would be able to provide a _very_ comfortable living."

"I'm sure you're right, Mrs. Warner."

He sighed. " _Mother_ , Lady Taylor does not need to hear about my current bachelor status. Let us get to know _her_ some, hm?"

"Don't be silly, Walter. I just want to see you happy!"

Cynthia jumped in. "Mother, I was hoping to discuss getting a few new dresses to take with me to the palace."

While Mrs. Warner's attentions were temporarily focused on Cynthia's wardrobe, Walter leaned over and said softly, "She has lost all her subtlety, I'm afraid. Forgive my mother. She's trying to look out for both Cynthia and I. She wants me settled down and she wants the best for Cynthia. Have no fear. You are a lovely young lady, but I have no intention of pursuing you."

I smiled. "I have no ill feelings toward her."

"I wish you the best of luck in the coming years, Lady Taylor."

"Thank you so much."

He nodded his head toward Cynthia. "I am grateful for your friendship with my sister. Keep an eye on her while you two are at the palace, could you please? She's a romantic and she hides her insecurities well. She will need someone to lean on and confide in."

I gave a small laugh. "I intend on it, Mr. Warner. Your sister has been an incredible friend to me. I owe her more than you know. I care for her as if she were my own sister."

He stared at me for a moment. I almost thought I had said something wrong until he finally returned his gaze to his food and said, "Good. Now, you will have to forgive me for bringing up such a sensitive and inappropriate topic, but I need to know: are you able to purchase new gowns?"

I felt my face flush. "Well… I have no need. I have several dresses that are suitable."

He nodded and continued as if he hadn't heard me. "I thought so. My mother does not know, but I would like to sponsor you, so to speak. I have already discussed it with Cynthia. You will go with her to the dressmaker this week to be fitted for a new wardrobe. I know it is likely that you'll be supplied with a wardrobe after you arrive at the palace, but I do not want to take any chances."

"Mr. Warner!" I exclaimed quietly. "I couldn't accept such a gen-"

"You can and you will. My sister has faith in you. You are her dearest friend and I want to make sure that you fit in as much as possible. This idea was more for her benefit than yours, to be truthful. However, now that I have properly met you, I know that this is worth the investment."

My face burned red. "I don't know what to say. This really isn't nec-"

"You do not need to say anything. Cynthia will let you know when to meet her at the dressmaker's shop."

"Please, Mr. Warner, I don't n-"

Mrs. Warner's voice carried across the table. "Walter, you should tell Lady Taylor here all about your new business ideas. What was the one you mentioned to me just last week?"

"I was just now telling her."

"And what do you think of it, Lady Taylor?"

I glanced at Walter, who gave me a smile.

"She's speechless at how marvelous of an idea it is."

I nodded and took a sip of wine, praying for the rest of the evening to pass as quickly as possible.

* * *

Later that week, Cynthia and I met at the dressmaker's shop, despite my worries.

"Cynthia, I really don't feel comfortable with this," I told her while we were getting our measurements taken.

She looked over with a quizzical look. "Why? My brother just wants to help."

I hesitated. "I understand that, but it feels strange to accept this. He didn't really allow me to speak when he offered. He kept interrupting me and ignoring me. Besides, I'd hate to be in debt to someone I barely know."

"You wouldn't be in debt, Eloise. It's a gift."

"Gifts sometimes come with strings attached."

She shook her head. "Not with Walter. But I don't blame you for feeling uncomfortable! He's not tactful sometimes. His generosity can blind him to reason. He should have at least allowed you to voice your insecurities."

Just as she finished speaking, the door opened and Walter strode in. I felt my face burn red.

"Walter!" Cynthia said sternly.

I shot my friend a look, but she wasn't paying attention.

He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I know, I know. I shouldn't be here. Mother might get suspicious."

She shook her head. "That's not it, you dumb man! You can't just spring something like this on a girl and not allow her to react! It's rude to interrupt a young woman when she's speaking to you. You made her feel uncomfortable."

"Cynthia!" I hissed.

Walter frowned. "Lady Taylor! I am so sorry. I was rude at our first meeting. I had guessed you wouldn't want to accept my offer, so I tried to keep you from being able to refuse. I see now that I was wrong in doing so. I apologize sincerely. I am truly doing this for my sister- I do not expect anything in return. Cynthia needs a friend and I figured it would help if you could blend in well with the other ladies. Not that you wouldn't do well on your own! I just thought…" He faltered, his confident exterior starting to crack. "That is, I didn't…"

"Mr. Warner, all is forgiven. I understand. Thank you so much for your generous offer. I truly appreciate it."

He beamed. "Oh, thank goodness. I was really worried I had offended you irreparably. Thank you."

Cynthia cleared her throat. "Now, what was your reason for coming in anyway? As you said, if Mother finds out, she may get suspicious."

"I simply wanted to make sure everything was in order. Also, I am looking into getting into the textile business. I thought coming in to see how a dressmaker's shop keeps stock might be an interesting look into textiles."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He shrugged. "I would like to start something of my own. I have very few _real_ responsibilities when it comes to the family businesses. Father and our brothers do most of the work. No matter what I try, they won't allow me to take on anything else. As such- forgive me for speaking of finances- I make enough money to support myself, but not a family. Mother thinks I enjoy being a bachelor, but the truth is… I just don't feel like I would be able to properly provide for anyone else right now."

"Oh, Wally. Have you mentioned that to Father?"

"Of course. I won't bore you with the details of _that_ , but the point is, I'm working on it. I still have time to get married- hopefully to the woman of _my_ choice, not mother's."

"I hope you'll keep me updated on your new ventures, then!" Cynthia replied cheerfully. "I'm excited for you. You're just as skilled as them- I have no doubt you'll succeed."

"Thank you, Cynthia."

The dressmaker and her assistant came out carrying some ready-made dresses that only needed altering. "Mr. Taylor, do you mind? I would like to get these ladies taken care of."

He nodded. "Of course. Forgive me. Cynthia, Lady Taylor, I will hopefully meet up with you again soon." He gave a bow of his head and left the shop.

Once I was certain the door had completely shut behind him, I asked, "Cynthia, if he's concerned about having enough to support a family, why is he helping me?"

We followed the two women to a curtained area in the back to try on our dresses and gowns.

She shrugged as the dressmaker began helping her out of her dress. "It's not that he doesn't have money now. He has plenty to support a family comfortably, in my opinion. He's just accustomed to seeing how Mother and Father lived. He simply wants to make sure that he has a higher, steady income so he can support as lavish of a lifestyle as he can."

I nodded, slipping into the gown the assistant held out for me. "I keep forgetting we grew up very differently."

She smiled. "I wish I could tell Walter that having a warm, happy home is much more important than fancy dresses and china. Look at us! Sure, we grew up differently, but we both ended up in the same position, didn't we? He would never listen. To his credit, though, it comes from a good place."

Several hours later, we exited the shop with five new gowns each to be delivered before we departed for the palace. We bade each other farewell until the carriage would arrive to take us away from home.

* * *

 **-I AM SO SORRY.** Things came up in my life that caused huge delays in this update, mainly a new job. I am uploading this chapter and heading immediately into working on chapter 17 so I can update again as soon as I can. I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17

Less than two weeks later, I stood in my bedroom staring at the small, empty trunk at the foot of my bed. Painted on its side was a royal crest. The royal coach had appeared in town the day before along with two of these chests, much to the displeasure of Cynthia's mother. Apparently she had not fully read the letter her daughter had received. We were allowed to bring only a single trunk of clothing and personal items, and no more. We were to be outfitted by the royal dressmakers, adorned by the royal jewelers. We did not need our own personal effects; we would be provided with everything we could possibly need.

"Eloise, I thought you might want-" My mother appeared at my door holding a neatly folded quilt in her arms. "You still haven't packed anything yet?"

I shook my head. "Two years," I said quietly. "It feels strange. I have to pack up my entire life in this little trunk so I can go and spend at least two years in a place that isn't home."

She placed the quilt on my bed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I'm sure it will feel like home sooner than you expect."

I felt my lip tremble. "But it _won't_ be home. It might not ever be home. I don't know if the prince will like me. I don't know where I might go after he's chosen a wife!"

She pulled me in even closer for a full, enveloping hug. "My dear, you are stronger and more resilient than you realize. When that time comes, you will know what to do. I am certain of it."

I gave a small sniffle and pulled back. "You really believe that?"

"Of course I do! Just look at your time in Cliffside. You never wanted to go there in the first place, but you made an amazing friend in that short time. This is a big change for you and it's understandable that you have some apprehension about leaving home. However, I think you're letting your thoughts get carried away." She reached out and smoothed my hair away from my face. "Now, I thought you might like to take this quilt with you. Your grandmother made it for me when your father and I were engaged." She picked it up off the bed and held it out to me. "It's a little thin and shows its age after all these years, but it might bring you a little comfort to have something else from home."

I took it from her and placed it at the bottom of my trunk. "Thank you."

"Now, let's get you ready to go, shall we? You leave the day after tomorrow."

I nodded, allowing my mother to guide me through the motions of packing. She seemed to know just what I needed. The carved box holding my mother's treasured wedding jewelry joined the quilt, along with some poetry books, the dresses Cynthia's brother had paid for, and two jars of my mother's prized jam.

"Jam?"

She shrugged. "You may get homesick and that old quilt might not be comforting enough. I don't know what royals eat! They may think _jam_ is beneath them. Perhaps this jam will help you make even more friends." She winked, a playful tone to her voice. "I have several packed in a basket for Cynthia, also. She loved having toast and jam with us!"

I laughed. "She did, didn't she?" I gave a heavy sigh. "I know I've said it before, but I am _so_ very relieved that she's going with me. I don't know how I could survive these next two years without her."

"She is a blessing to us both, that's certain. I feel so much better about sending you off knowing that she will be accompanying you while you're gone." She shut the trunk softly and turned to face me. "Can you think of anything else you might want? Anything at all that I could send with you?"

"I think you thought of everything- and more!" I told her with a chuckle.

She frowned. "Perhaps more jam? Do you need any ribbons? We could go into town and get some ribbons!"

"Ribbons?"

"To trade? You know, like the girls do in school. It might help you make friends."

I laughed, realizing that she was worried about more than just ribbons.

"Mother. I am not a school girl anymore. Besides, I don't think the other girls will be eager to make friends. Ultimately, we're all competing against each other."

"You made friends with Cynthia," she said.

"She was the exception to the rule."

"What if these girls are all like you and Cynthia?"

I shook my head. "Then I won't need ribbons to make friends." I gave her a tight embrace. "I will be _fine_. I promise. So will you. You'll be so busy with Mr. Towne, you won't have time to worry about me," I teased.

She sighed. "A mother never stops worrying."

"I know, Mother. I know."

Two days later, Cynthia and I stood in the town square as the sun rose, surrounded by the mayor, our families, the three royal guardsmen accompanying us, and a small crowd that had heard of when our departure was to happen.

The mayor bowed and handed us each a small box. "Please take these gifts as a sign of the town's support. We are honored to have two of our young women be chosen. Remember us and know we are all cheering you on."

We accepted the gifts with a curtsey. "Thank you. We could never forget where we came from," Cynthia said.

The captain of the guardsmen, a short and broad young man, approached. "We must be going now. It will take several days to make it to our destination."

We gave our tearful goodbyes and gave one final wave to the crowd before boarding the royal coach.

I squeezed Cynthia's hand as the captain shut the door and we lurched away from our home. "Here we go," I whispered.

She nodded solemnly. "Here we go," she repeated.

Our journey started off well enough. We made good time for the first day and a half of our journey north until we were caught in a nasty spring storm. We stopped for the rest of the day and night at a small country inn called The Stone Enchantress.

After we had dined that evening, Cynthia and I quietly sat before the roaring fire in the gathering area of the inn, absentmindedly kitting.

"Ladies." We looked up to see Captain Keller standing before us. "May I join you?"

Cynthia gave him a smile. "Of course, Captain. Please sit."

He sat down on a bench opposite our chairs, his posture better than my own. "I apologize our journey has been delayed."

"It's unnecessary for you to apologize, Captain Keller." I gave a small chuckle. "You hardly control the weather."

I thought I saw the briefest of smirks cross his face. "Yes, well, I'm sure you're eager to arrive at the palace."

"I think we're just eager to be finished with our journey and get settled in." Cynthia smiled. "How long have you been a captain with the Guardsmen?"

"A year now, my lady."

"Your family must be proud."

A frown crossed his face. "I suppose."

Cynthia and I exchanged looks. I cleared my throat and said, "Your accent, captain. Are you originally from Rybeth?"

He shook his head. "No, I am not. I came here from Havaria when I was young."

"Havaria? That's so far."

Cynthia smiled. "What brought you to Rybeth?"

"Curious, aren't we? Education. I attended Rybeth Royal University."

I gasped, ignoring his annoyed tone. "You attended the Royal University? That's… Quite incredible, Captain Keller. Consider me impressed."

"I apologize if we have been prying too much. We are merely making conversation." Cynthia must have picked up on his tone also. "The Royal University? I've heard of it, but know very little. Is it very hard to be selected?"

"Incredibly difficult," I replied. "Only the most intelligent and talented young men attend. They get students from all over. It's incredibly prestigious. Those who graduate go on to become royal advisors, inventors, mathematicians... "

Cynthia set her knitting down in her lap. "The Guard is lucky to have you, then."

I sighed. "I wouldn't be nearly talented enough now, but when I was young, I had always dreamed of attending. It's a shame they don't recruit female students." I rubbed my temples absentmindedly, suddenly feeling a headache coming on.

He eyed me with muted surprise. I braced myself for the inevitable disapproval, but instead he replied, "It is a pity. I've known many women talented and clever enough to attend." He inspected the cuffs of his sleeves and added, "Perhaps someday one of you can change that."

It was my turn to be surprised. "You already believe one of us could become queen someday? You barely know us."

He now smirked openly and said, almost mockingly, "I have a feeling you both are plenty capable enough."

"That's kind of you to say," Cynthia said calmly, ignoring the way the compliment was delivered. She must have sensed my unease, because she quickly switched subjects. "Captain, what hobbies do you have?"

He shook his head. "I have none. My work keeps me occupied."

I frowned. "Surely a Rybeth Royal Scholar would have more to do than be a soldier."

He bristled and sat up even straighter than I thought was possible. "I am a _captain_ of the Royal Guardsmen, Lady Taylor, not a simple foot soldier in the militia. Being a captain means more than escorting young women. Besides, I have other duties outside of my place in the Guard. What I do is demanding work."

"She didn't mean any disrespe-"

He held up a hand at Cynthia, who looked shocked at being interrupted. "Forgive me, but I must disagree, Lady Warner. Your friend seems to have taken a dislike to me. I don't mind. Many people dislike me. But I do not appreciate my life's work being attacked when the accuser knows nothing of what I do."

I felt my face flush. "And I do not appreciate being treated like a fool."

He raised an eyebrow. "Please, tell me in what way I have wronged you."

I glared at him. He reminded me of a student I had dealt with early at the start of the school year. If he chose to act like a tricky schoolboy, I would treat him as such. "Your comments have been just civil enough to seem innocent, but your tone and face say something completely different. You seem to be mocking us, Captain. What is it about us that causes you to treat us this way? Do you not believe we deserve this? Do you think we are simple, silly girls who are only here to become a princess?"

I could feel Cynthia's embarrassment at my outburst radiating from her undoubtedly red cheeks. She was not used to conflict like this, I could tell. I didn't bother to look at her and instead stared at the captain, waiting for an answer.

His face went blank and unreadable. He stood, adopting a neutral tone. "Forgive my behavior. I must be tired. Ladies, I would advise you to return to your rooms so that we can get an early start tomorrow."

I glared at him and gathered my knitting. I stood and strode to the stairs, where I paused so that Cynthia could catch up.

We went up the stairs silently. Once we reached our rooms, which consisted of a small parlor-like room and a bedroom with two small beds, Cynthia let out a breath as if she had been holding it for a while.

"Eloise!"

I turned to her sheepishly. "I know, Cynthia. I don't know what came over me!"

She shook her head and sat down on the small settee by the fire. "I know we don't know each other _that_ well yet, but I've never heard you speak like that before."

I sighed. "The teacher in me took over. I use that- wait." I stopped myself, realizing I was no longer a teacher. "I _used_ that tone when I had a particularly difficult student. For some reason, Captain Keller just-" I let out a frustrated groan. "Something about the way he spoke to us. My head was aching and I just lost my patience. After how I was treated at Cliffside, I didn't want to be spoken to like that again."

She nodded. "Would you like a cool cloth for your head?"

"No, I seem to be fine now. The smoke from the fire must have been bothering me. And it was awfully warm down there too."

"Now, can we agree to hold our tongues for the rest of our journey? I do agree that he was terribly rude. I won't even ask you to apologize. While your outburst was shocking, I will say that he deserved it. Who interrupts a lady while she's speaking?!"

I laughed. "A man, apparently."

She rolled her eyes. "No man I've ever met!"

The next morning, I avoided the captain and he seemed to avoid me, much to my relief. He no longer spoke with us on our trip's status. Instead, the two officers that drove the coach communicated with us. Our journey continued without any more storms, although we did get rained on early in the day. Luckily nothing else forced us to stop and we made good progress.

We spent one more night on the road before we grew close to the palace. We ate our lunch on the road the following day in order to make better time and arrive before nightfall.

"Can you believe it?" Cynthia squeaked as she rummaged through our lunch basket. "Just several more hours and we will be living in a _palace!_ We will be residents of the _Celestial Palace_ , Eloise!"

I nodded solemnly, taking the bread and cheese from her outstretched hand.

"What's wrong?"

"It's different when it feels far off and out of reach. To know that it's so close and real… It's just strange. I thought it would feel differently."

"Of course. I know what you mean."

"I'm excited, of course, but I feel a bit sick to my stomach."

Her eyes grew wide. "You're not… ?" She trailed off.

"Oh! No, I'm not going to get sick again like before. Don't worry. It's just nerves. That's all."

She gave a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. That would _not_ be a good way to start our time as ladies at the palace. Do they have infirmaries in palaces? I always imagined they would have an infirmary."

I smiled. "You know, no royal doctor or nurse could care for me as well as you and Mother did!"

She laughed. "Maybe if this princess thing doesn't work out, I'll just become a nurse."

"' _It is a pity,'"_ I said, doing my best impression of Captain Keller, "that women can't be doctors. You're plenty smart enough."

She snorted uncharacteristically, laughing even harder. "Eloise!"

"I know, I know… That wasn't polite of me-"

"No! That's not what I meant. I mean, no, it _wasn't_ polite. It's just that I didn't know you were so good at impressions!" We then spent the rest of our lunch doing impressions of the girls and women we met at Cliffside, of Cynthia's family and my students.

The coach slowed to a stop several hours later and Captain Keller appeared at the door.

"Ladies."

"How are we progressing, Captain?" Cynthia asked.

"We have arrived at the palace gates. It will still be a bit of a ride as we make our way up the lane to the palace itself. In about fifteen minutes or so, we will be met by the welcoming party. You will go through a short interview, then be briefed on all you need to know for this first week. After that you will be escorted to the palace."

"Interview?" I repeated.

"Yes." He did not offer any other information and disappeared from view.

As the coach lurched ahead once more, I groaned. "Another interview? Haven't we gone through enough interrogation?"

Cynthia shook her head. "Perhaps it's less of an interview and more of a…" Her voice trailed off, coming up with no reasonable explanation either. She threw her hands up in the air. "Oh, goodness. Who knows at this point. I'm sure it's just a formality."

As usual, her words made me feel somewhat comforted and slightly more at ease. "You're right. I'm sure it's nothing."

The lane was long and winding. I had expected to see a tall, looming structure as we made our way along, but nothing was coming into view.

"Have you caught a glimpse of anything yet, Eloise?"

I shook my head.

"Oh! There's the welcoming party!"

I craned my neck to see where she was pointing. In a sunny clearing sat a small, white tent with a line of brightly dressed people standing before it.

"And so it begins," I said softly.

* * *

 **Hi! Hello! I'm back!**

 **I want y'all to know that I have been getting your reviews. I've seen them, and they've been bringing me great joy. However, my laptop, as per usual, had decided to just crash on me. I finally got it fixed. I've also been handling some stuff at home, but I am FINALLY back at it! I'm so sorry I've let you down. I'm back at it though! I hope you've liked this chapter. I'm already at work on the next. I hope to not get too behind this time!**


	18. Chapter 18

As Cynthia's feet met the ground behind me, the line of people before us gave a bow in unison. I followed Cynthia's lead and gave a shallow curtsey in return.

"Ladies. Welcome." An older, immaculately dressed man stepped forward. "I am Lord Covington. I will be conducting all aspects of your interview before you are allowed beyond this point and to the palace. We want to be sure you are who you say you are and are not trying to fool us."

Before I could restrain myself, I raised an eyebrow. It was clear his words were directed towards me alone. I quickly regained composure and listened to Lord Covington, who seemed oblivious to my slip.

"Behind me are a group of highly skilled individuals who will assist me in making sure you meet the standards we are looking for in a future monarch." He gestured behind him and introduced the line of servants and nobles waiting patiently.

I paid little attention to the names he rattled off, my head swimming at the words he said seconds before. Wasn't the purpose of our being here to ensure we're meeting the standards of royalty? Didn't we already prove that we're capable?

". . . Lady Taylor, if you would follow me, please."

I gave him a smile and followed him inside the tent, unsure of what I was even about to do.

The interior of the tent was cramped with a table, chairs, baskets, books, and even a small pianoforte. A beautifully intricate rug covered the grass below us in an attempt to hide the fact that we were outside in a tent.

"Please," Lord Covington said, gesturing to a chair, "be seated."

A young man materialized and pulled the chair away from the table for me. I gave him a nod of gratitude and he quickly disappeared.

Lord Covington picked up a small book and quill. "You are taken aback by this, are you not?"

I smiled. "I admit I was not prepared for another interview, Lord Covington, but I have no reason to be concerned of the outcome."

He gazed at me for a moment before giving a small chuckle. He made several notes in his book as he said, "The royal family wants to make sure that nobody steps a foot inside the Celestial Palace without doing an interview of their own. We are here to make sure there was no incompetence in the interview process at the local levels. Any questions?"

"No, sir."

"Delightful." He snapped his fingers and another man was at his side with several books. "This may seem trivial, but I would like you to read the marked poem for me."

A book of poems was placed before me with a ribbon bookmark sticking out from the top. I opened the page and was delighted to find a poem my mother adored. I couldn't help but smile as I recited the poem with ease, the rhythm of the stanzas as natural to me as my own name.

"Thank you." The book was removed from the table and another placed before me. "Now this one."

Whoever chose the poems for the interview had a similar taste as my mother. Poem after poem I felt my nerves melt away and my confidence grow.

"You are familiar with poetry, I see."

"It's all thanks to my mother."

He nodded. "A farmer's wife, yes?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your father passed away, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell me, do you know many languages?"

I hesitated. "I am afraid not. I am very eager to learn, though."

"I should hope so." He made several more notes and my confidence suddenly abandoned me.

We stayed seated for the entirety of the interview, which was quite thorough. He tested me on Rybeth's history with the assistance of a tall, round-faced young man while another woman challenged me to several games of chess, all of which I inevitably lost. My singing and vocal range was tested with the help of an older man accompanying me on the pianoforte. I was asked to embroider, draw, and serve tea. My dinner etiquette was tested alongside my skills in arithmetic.

After what seemed like an eternity, Captain Keller entered the tent holding a small wooden box. Lord Covington gestured for the captain to join us at the table. "Now, Lady Taylor, this is the last of the interview. It isn't anything strenuous, so please relax. Captain Keller, you may proceed."

The captain sat in the chair to my left and placed the box on the table. He opened it and pulled out a small, round stone that was so polished that it seemed to shine on its own.

"Your hand, Lady Taylor." I held out a hand to him compliantly. "Hold this." He placed the stone in my hand and pulled a small blue book of his own from the box.

"What are your intentions in coming to the palace? What made you decide to accept the offer to come? Simply put, _why are you here?_ "

I blinked, startled by the blunt question. I glanced at Lord Covington, who eyed me with slight distrust. "I…"

Captain Keller looked at me expectantly. "The truth, please. The complete truth."

I hesitated for a moment and looked the captain in the eyes. Something in his eyes conveyed that he was not kidding. "The reason I accepted was to learn and better myself. This opportunity was one I could not let pass. I have a natural love for learning. To me, being in a royal palace where I could learn from scholars and form new ideas… well, it's a dream come true, Captain."

He exchanged a glance with Lord Covington, who gave a small nod. "What of His Highness, the Crown Prince? This is, after all, an attempt to find the best woman suited to become his bride."

I frowned. I had given my answer, why did he need more?

"Lady Taylor, please answer."

"Can you be more direct? I'm afraid I do not know what you're asking me."

"Please, let's not play games here. Did you not come here in hopes of becoming Queen of Rybeth? Do you not seek power and fortune?"

"No."

The captain raised an eyebrow at me, gesturing for me to continue. "Elaborate."

Suddenly, I heard myself speaking. "I spoke the truth. I am insulted that you think so poorly of me. No, I did not come here seeking fortune or power. I will not become queen. I know this. I am not as eloquent as my friend, Lady Warner. I am not well-connected as the other women who will be here. I'm not as beautiful. I'm simply a farmer's daughter. I spoke the truth. I am here to learn. Nothing more, nothing less."

Finished with my answer, I gasped, staring blankly at the captain in shock as he placed the stone back into the box.

Lord Covington broke the brittle silence. "Thank you, Lady Taylor. Mrs. McVey will escort you out."

As I walked out, I turned to glance at Captain Keller once more and met his eyes. I quickly turned away, but not before noticing a strange look cross the captain's face. I was directed to a chair beside Cynthia near the tent's entrance. The captain exited the tent and Lord Covington appeared close behind. "Lady Warner, please join me."

Cynthia entered the tent, leaving me alone with the captain and an older, bored looking woman seated on the opposite side of the tent's entrance.

"Congratulations, Lady Taylor," the captain said tersely. He bowed and briskly strode to his horse. He tucked his box in a saddle bag and mounted swiftly. The coach began to roll away towards the palace and Captain Keller followed, with his strange stone in tow.

I watched his retreating figure with anger. Something in me felt almost violated. How had he gotten me to speak so plainly? Why was he not waiting around for Cynthia? Was he not going to ask her the same questions? My hands shook in my lap and I smoothed my skirts in an attempt to calm them- and failed. I tried to listen in on Cynthia's interview in vain. The only sounds I could hear were of the wind and wildlife in the clearing.

After Cynthia's suspiciously short interview, I was ushered back into the tent where we were informed that we both passed our interviews. I was still so shaken from the exchange with Captain Keller that I barely registered the news.

"This week, the other girls will be arriving from across Rybeth. You are our first arrivals. When you arrive at the palace, you will be taken to a set of rooms where you will live for the next two years- if you make it that far. This week will give you time to relax before you begin your rigorous training. Your only obligation this week is to be fitted for the proper attire that is expected of a true noblewoman."

He held out a letter to Cynthia. "Several noblewomen from across the country have offered to sponsor a young woman. Your sponsor will be investing in you to make your transition and training go as well as possible. Lady Cynthia, this letter is from your sponsor, Countess Bendon of Loatham."

"Who is Lady Taylor's sponsor?" Cynthia asked.

He paused a moment before his reply, but I knew the answer. "She has no sponsor at the moment." He continued on, "You are in no way indebted to your sponsor. Many of these women may only be interested in furthering their own status. Do not make them any promises in any capacity, whether you believe you can keep them or not. You will eventually meet them at your first official society event."

He picked up a piece of paper from the table and cleared his throat. "These are the rules by which you will be expected to abide. First, from this moment on, you will conduct yourself as though you are already engaged to His Highness, the Crown Daniel. That means you cannot be involved with another man in any way. You must keep yourself out of any trouble or controversy. If you embarrass yourself, you embarrass the royal family as well. Any letters that are sent or received will be opened and examined before they can reach the recipient. Family will be allowed to visit at the end of your first year. You will not be allowed to return home until you are finished with your training, or are asked to leave.

"You will be given a tour of your wing in the palace. You will be given directions on where you can be at any given time. If you cannot follow those directions, you will be sent home. This may be where you are living, but you are a guest here. Behave as such."

He set the paper back down and looked up at us. "You will be given further instruction by your Royal Opportunity Coordinator, Madame Trudeau. Do you have any further questions? Lady Cynthia?"

"You said we will not be allowed visits to return home. What happens if there is a death in the family?"

" _Only_ the death of a parent would merit the _consideration_ of a brief return visit. Any other family member's death would not be enough cause to return home. You will be allowed to mourn properly here at the palace. Any other questions?" When we remained silent, he gestured to the front of the tent. "Your carriage should be ready to take you to the palace."

Outside the tent sat a beautiful open-air carriage led by two dappled-grey horses. "Best of luck, ladies," Lord Covington called as a footman assisted us into the carriage and we were on our way.

After a few minutes, Cynthia reached over and squeezed my hand. "It will be okay," she assured me. When I didn't respond, she repeated, "It _will_ be okay." When I remained silent still, she said hesitantly. "Your interview was a lot longer than mine. Tell me about it later? Once we've settled in?"

I nodded, not sure I could trust myself to speak. I stared out at the trees as we grew closer and closer to the still-unseen palace.

" _Eloise_."

I looked back at her, surprised by the stern tone of her voice.

"Please. It will be okay. It will be _hard_ , but we won't let it break us. We can do this!"

I gave her a weak smile. Her words normally made me feel better, but not this time. "You're right. What can go wrong when you have your best friend by your side?"

"Exactly!" She returned my smile enthusiastically and I wondered if she was encouraging herself more than me.

We remained silent for the rest of the trip up the lane. As we progressed, the trees grew more pruned and ornamental in appearance. Eventually the trees gave way to the occasional garden, filled with colorful flowers and statues. The grounds were absolutely immaculate. I had never seen such splendor in nature- and we hadn't even seen the palace and the official royal gardens.

We saw it when we reached the crest of a small hill. It wasn't anything like I expected. The lane straightened out below us and the tree-lined gravel led to a sprawling estate with multiple buildings and gardens. I had expected a tall, looming structure like I often saw in children's books. Instead of rising up into the sky, the palace was low and expansive. The main structure was a quadrangle with two L-shaped wings on opposite sides. The exterior was composed of beautiful white stone and covered with huge windows.

For a brief moment, I forgot all of my anxieties and gazed at the sight in awe. I was no longer simply Eloise Taylor of Ravendale, the teacher and daughter of a farmer. I suddenly felt like Lady Taylor, the young woman who belonged here. The young woman who could make a difference.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think! I promise I haven't forgotten about Eloise. I think about where I'm taking the story constantly! Life just gets in the way.**


	19. Chapter 19

"You'll just have to prove them wrong."

Cynthia sat across from me in our shared sitting room. She poured me a cup of tea and gave me an encouraging smile.

I groaned. "I don't know if that's possible."

"Sure it is. You proved everyone wrong at Cliffside, didn't you?"

"I also didn't get treated like _this_ at Cliffside."

We hadn't even been at the palace for a full day and I hadn't met a single person who treated me as a lady. After we were welcomed at the palace, we met our Royal Opportunity Coordinator, Madame Trudeau. While she held a special title, she was the palace's equivalent to Mrs. Downey at Cliffside. She would be in charge of making sure we kept our appointments and made sure we followed all rules. Madame Trudeau's behavior towards me made everyone at Cliffside seem very amicable. The new matron treated me as if I were equal to a servant. She spoke only directly to Cynthia and didn't once acknowledge my presence. I would have preferred a glare and snarky comments to being ignored completely.

Even the maids and servants we encountered in the palace treated me similarly. They showed a great deal of respect to Cynthia, but turned up their noses at me. Apparently the kitchen got the same idea. We were given our supper in our sitting room, but Cynthia and I got two very different meals. Her meals was what I would have expected from a palace kitchen. My meal was slightly burnt bread, a small pile of slimy vegetables, and a dry piece of chicken. When we both awoke, we found one tray of breakfast on the table in the sitting room, meant only for Cynthia. We tried calling for a maid, but nobody came. We had to share the small breakfast.

"I'm sure it will all blow over soon," she assured me with a smile. "Just give it time."

We heard a knock and Cynthia stood to open it. A maid bowed her head and held out a tray. "A letter for Miss Taylor."

Cynthia cleared her throat in annoyance and took the letter. "Ahem. Yes, thank you. I will give this to _Lady_ Taylor now."

The maid walked away before being dismissed and Cynthia stared after her before shutting the door. " _Honestly._ The letter even _says_ Lady Taylor!" She shrugged. "Like I said: give it time?" She handed it to me and returned to her tea.

"It's from the Duchess."

"The Duchess of Tyberon?"

I nodded as I read the contents of the letter. I felt my face flush and I grinned up at Cynthia. "She's sponsoring me!"

"What? That's amazing news! What does she say?"

"Not much. She apologizes for the late letter. Most sponsors would have sent something sooner- that must be why Lord Covington said I didn't have a sponsor yet. She wishes the best for me and will be excited to see me again at our first society event." I chuckled and handed the letter to Cynthia. "She hopes it's a garden party. She _loves_ garden parties. You can read it, I don't mind."

She smiled as she read it over. "This is wonderful! See, Eloise? Things will get better!"

"I hope you're right. I should write her back now before I forget."

Over the next several days, our fellow Ladies of Opportunity arrived. We cheerfully reunited with Piri and got an indifferent greeting from Lily Southgate, the other Cliffside girl. The rest of the ladies didn't know of my origin, and I didn't know theirs. It made for a refreshing change in how I was being treated. We took strolls on the lawn and took visits to the library. Sometimes we got together in one sitting room for tea and shared stories of our local training. The girls were shocked when Piri told them about how Alice slapped me. I gained a lot of respect after that- even after it was revealed that I had been a farmer's daughter and had worked for a wage.

We were all fitted for our new wardrobe later on in the week. When it was my turn to be fitted, the seamstresses seemed to be indifferent to who I was. They treated me no differently than the rest of the ladies in the palace, which was a huge relief after what happened with my dress at Cliffside.

Finally, a week after Cynthia and I arrived at the palace, we were to begin our studies. After we all had breakfast together, Madame Trudeau gathered us together in a special study that appeared to have been built with us in mind. One wall was lined with beautiful wooden shelves, stacked with books, paper, ink, and beautiful new steel nib dip pens; the other wall was covered in large windows facing one of the gardens. In the middle of the room sat three rows of small, beautiful writing desks that faced a larger desk at the front of the room.

Madame Trudeau stood in front of the desk at the front as we filed in. "Ladies, you will find your names at each desk. Please take a seat at your assigned desk and we will begin."

We quietly looked for our desks. Unsurprisingly, I was in the back row next to the bookshelves. I pretended not to care and sat down.

"First, I would like to welcome you all again to the Celestial Palace. Today will be an informative overview of what we will be accomplishing in the next two years, should you last that long." She gave a nearly imperceptible glance at me as she said it, and continued, "I will introduce you to your instructors as well. You will rarely see me in this room after today; I am not an instructor."

She gestured to the room. "This study will be available during your free time. Please do not use any desk other than your own. Do not store anything of value in your desk, as this room will not be kept locked. Please refrain from using the supplies for personal use; you will have access to paper, pens, and ink for personal use. All you need to do is ask for more when you run out. The books are to remain in this room as well unless otherwise directed by your instructors."

I glanced at my peers around me. They sat with their backs straight and did not touch the backs of the chairs, with their hands folded in their laps. They listened carefully to each word Madame Trudeau spoke. Although my own posture was appropriate, I adjusted my back slightly and pushed my shoulders back just enough to mimic the others around me.

"-various subjects during your stay. I will introduce you to all of the instructors shortly, but you will not begin all subject matter immediately. Some subjects will not begin for several more months. The subjects of study are history and governing, mathematics, languages, etiquette and ladies' arts, and miscellaneous aspects of living as royalty." She gestured at the door behind me and I heard several people enter. Four men and a woman made their way to the front to stand beside Madame Trudeau.

I felt my face redden with anger when I saw Captain Keller take his place with the other four instructors. I couldn't possibly be in a class with him! He already showed a clear dislike and distrust of me, I couldn't imagine he would treat me any better when he was in a position of authority.

"Mrs. Stafford will be your instructor on etiquette and ladies' arts."

Mrs. Stafford, a plain but well-dressed middle aged woman, stepped forward. "I look forward to instructing you in how to reach your full potential as a noblewoman."

"Monsieur Bouchard will instruct you in mathematics."

He was a short, round man who wore spectacles. He stepped forward, bowed, and stepped back again.

"Captain Keller will instruct you in what becoming royalty means and how it will affect your life, such as safety and interacting with your subjects."

He stepped forward like the rest, bowed, and said, "The subject is more nuanced than that, but yes, those topics are part of what we will discuss." He briefly made eye contact with me and I felt my face involuntarily contort with anger. He raised an eyebrow, broke off eye contact, and stepped back.

"Mr. Bray will be your languages instructor."

Mr. Bray had a stocky build and stood a good foot taller than the captain. He stepped forward, making Captain Keller seem even smaller. "It is an honor to be your instructor." As he stepped back, much to my amusement, Captain Keller subtly straightened his posture to compensate for the difference in height.

"If you are already fluent in a language, you will be asked to assist in helping your peers. No, this is not optional. Part of being a good noblewoman is to be helpful and supportive of your peers in a constructive way." She turned to the instructors. "Thank you, you are dismissed."

As they walked out, I made a point to ignore the captain, although I could feel his gaze watch me all the way out of the room.

"Now, I will review some of the basic rules about your time here…"

The overview of the "basic" rules took all morning. When she finished, we were excused for lunch, the first meal we were all going to eat together.

The energy amongst the other was positive; everyone was excited to finish lunch and return to the study to find out what we would be doing for the next two years.

"How many balls do you think we'll get to attend?"

"How many do you think we'll get to _host?_ "

"Will we get our own horses? I miss my mare!"

"When will our first society event be? Does anyone know?"

I listened to the chatter silently while Cynthia joined the speculations. As we neared the dining hall, she fell back to walk beside me.

"It seems we can't shake Captain Keller," she commented.

"Unfortunately."

"You never told me what happened at the interview, Eloise."

"I told you!"

She raised an eyebrow as we sat down. "You told me they seemed skeptical that you're capable enough. You didn't say exactly what happened."

"That's it. That's all it was."

"And what was Captain Keller doing?"

"Helping them test me."

"For what?"

"I guess to make sure I was who I said I was? I don't really remember. There was so much going on."

She sighed as the food was brought in. "I still don't believe you, but I'm too hungry to try and bother you about it anymore!" She chuckled and we joined the rest of the conversations happening around us.

"You're the girl that got slapped, right?" asked a girl to my left.

I turned around in surprise to see a bright, eager face intently waiting for an answer. "Huh? Oh. Yes, that would be me."

She gave me a wide, toothy smile. "Oh my goodness. Can we be friends? Because I want to be friends with you." She stuck a hand out and said, "My name is Rita Masterson."

I laughed. "Eloise Taylor. I wouldn't object to being friends."

"Eloise! What a beautiful name! Eloise- do you mind if I call you Eloise? You can call me Rita. Anyway, I absolutely love the fact you got here despite everything against you!"

"Thank you?"

"Not many people wanted me here either, you know. It's because of my skin color."

I frowned. "Truly?" While her warm, golden brown skin was indeed a little darker than the rest of us, I couldn't imagine why people would dislike her. After all, her first reaction was to befriend me! I was immediately drawn in by her enthusiasm.

She nodded emphatically. "I'm not fair like the rest of you, obviously, and some people don't like that. They _mock_ me, call me _exotic_." She looked pointedly at Lady Charlotte Hobart, who was paying no attention to us, then returned her gaze to me. "I'm just as much from Rybeth as the rest of you all. My father emigrated here from far away, much farther than most explorers even travel. He befriended a man from Rybeth and my father asked to join the voyage back here. My father always intended to return; he never expected to find much here that would be enough to keep him from his homeland. Then he met my mother- the explorer's sister, actually- and they fell in love. He's never returned since." She turned her focus to her food, as if her story was nothing exciting.

I gaped at her. "Your life is incredible," I said finally.

She shrugged as she chewed. "Not really." She gave me a lopsided grin. "My father's life is incredible, not mine, I assure you."

I smiled. "Well, I would love to become friends."

"I am absolutely _ecstatic_ to hear that!"

We made plans to have tea together in her sitting room the next time we had a free afternoon and swapped stories from our regional interviews.

After lunch, we all returned to the study and listened to Madame Trudeau drone on about more rules before she finally got to the topic most of the others wanted to hear: when we would have society events and meet the prince.

"Your first society event will be early this fall, at the Royal Masquerade. You will go through rigorous training the next several months. A week before the event, you will be tested to ensure you're ready to attend. If you do not pass the test, you will not be allowed to attend."

One of the ladies in front of me timidly raised her hand.

"Yes, Lady Madden?"

"Will the crown prince be there?"

"That's not any concern of yours at the moment. Once you're prepared to be a true noblewoman, then you can worry about proving yourself to the prince." She paused while the room buzzed with whispers and speculations. Finally, she cleared her throat and said, "If you're _quite_ done, I will continue."

The room quieted down and she pressed on. "Before _every_ event, you will be tested. If you continually fail these tests, you will be asked to leave the palace. _However_ , do not think that because you will be tested beforehand that means you will not be watched for any slip-ups during the event. Should any issues arise with your behavior at an event, you will be spoken to after and a course of action will be taken against that behavior."

She spent the rest of the afternoon rattling off various special events, balls, and garden parties that we would be attending- most of which would be held at the palace or nearby estates. I was amazed at how seldom we would be leaving the palace. Finally, she dismissed us for our meal, where I sat beside Rita and Cynthia again. We discussed our rooms and exchanged thoughts on the prince.

"Ladies!" called Lady Monroe. We all turned to her expectantly. "Lady Juliet Greene and I would like to extend an invitation to you all to come to our parlor after dinner to help us all get to know each other a little better. We've asked for extra chairs to be brought in, and we may have some sweets to share for anyone who wants to join us." She flashed a bright smile and said, "I hope we'll see you there!"

Several of the ladies around her praised her generosity and smart thinking. Rita turned to me and said, "Oh, that could be fun. What do you think, Eloise? Cynthia?"

I exchanged looks with Cynthia. "I suppose it might be nice to get to know everyone else a little better." I turned back to Rita. "Why not?"

* * *

 **Let me know what you think! Please! I love getting reviews!** Sorry it's been so long since my last update! :( I've been busy lately. Please remember I have a family, responsibilities, and a crappy computer, so I can't always update regularly like I want to. I would love to give you guys regular updates, but things are really hard right now. If you're having withdrawls, check out one of my other, older stories if you haven't already! :)


	20. Chapter 20

The following weeks after our instruction started were exhausting, but thrilling. We learned more than I ever thought possible. Most of us girls got along really well, surprisingly. We rallied together when things got hard, when one of the girls wanted to leave and go home. I couldn't believe how well our stay was going, even if we were exhausted at the end of each day. I was still being treated worse than the rest of the ladies, but the staff seemed to get tired of the extra effort it took to be rude to me.

We mostly learned a lot of dance steps from Mrs. Stafford at the beginning, since we only had a few months before our first ball. Mathematics were simpler than I expected, but many of us still struggled with how Monsieur Bouchard taught us. Mr. Bray, despite his towering figure, was a kind man whose voice boomed enthusiastically as he taught us basic language skills.

One morning, a month before the Royal Masquerade, we entered our study to find Madame Trudeau instead of Mr. Bray. We took our seats and waited anxiously for an explanation.

"Ladies," she said once we were seated, "good morning. As you recall, you will be tested on your skills and knowledge before you will be cleared to attend the masquerade." She paused for a moment, looking over the room. "Your progress has been adequate, but I doubt you will all pass. I have been informed, despite the rules, that all ladies will be allowed to attend this first social event."

Excited whispers rose up around me.

" _Ladies_." Everyone went silent. "This doesn't mean you'll get to skip the test. You will still be expected to have the skills required. If you do not, you'll be required to do extra training before the event."

I heard someone nearby whisper, " _But we already have so much to do!_ "

"Quiet, please!" Madame Trudeau glared at me. "Lady Taylor, is there an issue?"

I frowned, startled by the sudden focus on me. "No?"

"Then I suggest you keep quiet."

"But-"

" _Lady Taylor._ "

I looked around. Nobody was going to own up to it. I nodded meekly at Madame Trudeau.

She continued to glare at me. "It is disrespectful that you would speak when I am speaking, Lady Taylor. Stand up. What do you have to say for yourself?"

I stared at her in shock for a moment and stood. "Forgive me, Madame. I was not the one who spoke."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do not lie to me."

"I promise, I would not lie to you."

"Yet you are."

Someone else spoke before I could. "Madame Tru-"

"Quiet, please. This is none of your concern. Lady Taylor was rude and should apologize for her actions." She watched me expectantly.

I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes. "I'm sorry, Madame Trudeau. It will not happen again."

"Good. Thanks to that outburst, you will get to be tested first. If there are any more issues with your attitude or behavior, you will not be allowed to attend the Royal Masquerade. Understood?"

I nodded. "Yes, Madame Trudeau."

She waited a moment before speaking. "Good. Now sit."

I quickly sat down before she could accuse me of anymore wrongdoing.

"Ladies, let this be a lesson to you. You are expected to act with respect and grace. If you are chosen by the prince, you will be expected to keep the company of many important women, especially foreign royalty. If they are spoken to with disrespect, Rybeth may lose a very important ally. Now, I suggest you start studying. I will take Lady Taylor to another room and we will begin the testing today. Mr. Bray will be in shortly to continue with today's lessons. If any of you miss any lessons during your testing, you will be expected to get any information you missed from your peers." She sighed in annoyance and said, "Lady Taylor, with me, please."

I quickly followed her from the room and down the hall to another large room where we were met by all of the people who had interrogated me in the entrance interview, minus Captain Keller.

The test was similar to the interview, but this time it was much more intense. I was expected to demonstrate every dance perfectly while reciting the history of Rybeth in the Havarian language. We worked well past lunch time and into the late afternoon before food was brought in- for me to demonstrate proper meal etiquette while proving I knew what topics were best suited for casual conversation with other nobility. I barely ate four miniscule bites before they took the food away and began quizzing me on impossibly complex mathematics problems.

Finally, as the sun was setting, Madame Trudeau ended the torturous testing.

"Lady Taylor, that is all. You may go to your rooms now."

I hesitated. I was exhausted and in desperate need of food. "Madame Trudeau?" I asked softly.

"What is it now?" She turned from her notations and scowled back at me.

I hesitated. "I-"

"Today, please."

"I didn't get much to eat. Is it possible to get just a little to eat before I retire?"

She actually laughed at me. "When you have a busy day with preparing for a ball, entertaining guests, and fitting into a fancy gown, you will not eat much more than you did today. You will need to get used to it. Now go, before I mark you down for continued insubordination."

I nodded and rushed from the room, trying to find my room through my tears. As I stumbled down the hall, I felt a hand on my arm.

"Lady Taylor? Are you alright?"

I stopped, blinked away my tears, and looked at the speaker. It was Lady Anna Rapp, looking startled by my appearance.

I bit my lip and nodded. "Yes, thank you," I said weakly.

She tilted her head with a knowing look. "You weren't at lunch or supper. Did you eat during the test?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

"Come with me."

She began walking down the hall with a purpose. I expected us to go to her sitting room, where she often had some kind of food to nibble on. Instead, we turned down another hall towards the stairs.

"Lady Rapp?" I asked hesitantly.

"Call me Anna. Now follow me and keep up!"

I sighed, not having the energy to argue, and followed her down the stairs to the main floor and past the dining hall, where she stopped at a blank space of wall. She pulled back a piece of trim to reveal a door handle. She turned the handle and pushed the section of wall in to reveal a dimly lit hallway. She motioned for me to go in and then followed behind, shutting the secret door behind her. She smiled and began making her way down the passageway, and soon I could hear muffled voices. Suddenly, we were in the palace kitchens, where a small group of kitchen maids and housemaids sat around a table not unlike the one back at home.

They smiled at Anna and greeted her happily, then noticed me hovering in the doorway behind her.

One of the kitchen maids frowned. "What did you bring her down here for, Anna?"

"I told you no strays," said another. "Especially not _this_ one."

I glanced at "This is _Eloise_ , girls, and she needs some food. The High and Mighty Trudeau didn't feed her today."

"Not my problem," said one of the housemaids, getting up to leave.

"Jo!"

The maid stopped in her tracks and turned to face us. "I will behave during the day like I'm supposed to. But I'm not going out of my way to help _her_."

Anna glared at her. "And why not?"

"Come on, you know why."

"Those are rumors, Jo. Let's just ask her about them right now. I've spent plenty of time with her and I don't think she's what they say she is."

I frowned. "What do people say I am?"

The maids didn't hesitate to answer.

"A _traitor_."

"A witch."

"A liar!"

I looked to Anna for clarification. "I don't understand."

She smiled at me with a mixture of pity and compassion. "Sit down, I'll get you something to eat, and I will explain it to you."

I sat down at the table and she fetched me a loaf of bread and put a kettle on for tea. She moved about the room like she knew what she was doing and had done it hundreds of time before.

"I used to work in the palace when it was first built," she explained. "I was a scullery maid, then worked my way to kitchen maid. My mother was a cook here."

I nodded in understanding. I was glad to know I wasn't the only one who came from a very humble background.

"So before everyone got here, there were rumors flying around about one of the Ladies of Opportunity. Someone had reported her for lying and cheating her way into the competition. They said she was from Lowendry- a spy sent on a mission to sabotage the Ladies of Opportunity and then assassinate the prince himself by way of magic. Jo here heard it herself when she was dusting the library."

I swallowed my bite of bread and asked, "Who made the accusations?"

"It was anonymous. A letter was sent here without any name or address to know who sent it."

I frowned. "So they think I'm a spy."

"Yes."

I studied the bread. "That's why you've all treated me so poorly. You think I'm an enemy spy."

"So you deny it?!" Jo asked angrily.

I felt my face flush with anger. "Of course I deny it! I'm a farmer's daughter, a teacher! I've lived in Rybeth my entire life. I have no ties to Lowendry or anyone who lives there!"

She crossed her arms. "You had better be telling the truth," she spat. "Anna is my friend! It's not fair that someone would trick their way into the palace when she worked hard to rise above her station!"

One of the kitchen maids spoke up too. "You best not hurt the prince either. He's a good man."

I looked at her with curiosity. I wanted to ask more about the prince, but Jo spoke up again.

"That's right! He treats us well. Rybeth needs to see him live long enough to be king."

" _Girls_ ," Anna said impatiently. "Eloise isn't a spy. She's a victim. Trudeau treats her like trash-"

" _Because she's a spy!_ "

"- _and_ she needs support. The other ladies treat her with respect, and you should too."

Jo snorted. "Those ladies are all dim and can't see what's in front of them."

Anna poured me a cup of tea and said patiently, "Excuse me, Jo. In case you've forgotten, _I am one of those ladies_. I spend time with them, I eat with them. Those girls upstairs are some of the most dedicated people I've ever met. Don't forget, even though they have the title of _Lady_ , they're still just as common as you or me. That includes Eloise. She isn't a spy. She's a good person."

Jo rolled her eyes and said, "You're losing sight of your roots, _Lady Anna_." She turned away from us and stormed from the room.

The room was quiet for a moment before a different housemaid asked, "So you're truly and honestly just a farmer's daughter? You aren't a witch?"

I laughed. "A witch? Definitely not. There's no such thing. They only exist in fairy tales."

"Fairy tales are created out of truth," she replied.

I shrugged. "Well, even if they are real, I most definitely am not a witch."

The other girls seemed satisfied that I was not a spy and warmed up to me quickly. I soon felt more at ease with food in my belly and tea to warm my spirits.

We left the kitchen when the clock told us it was getting too close to curfew. We said farewell to my new friends and made our way back upstairs.

"That explains so much," I commented.

Anna looked at me quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"The spy thing. It explains a lot about how people have treated me."

She frowned. "You think that's why Trudeau is so hard on you?"

I blinked. "Well of course."

"I just thought it was a rumor amongst the servants. I didn't think anyone took it seriously besides the staff."

"My entrance interview was unnecessarily-" I struggled to find the right word.

"Thorough?" she offered.

I nodded. "Yes, that's a good way to put it. I assume my entrance interview experience will be similar to how the rest of you will be tested before the Royal Masquerade."

"What was your test like today?"

"Grueling. I'm certain I didn't pass it. There was information I could never have known. I had to recite the history of Rybeth in Havarian!"

"That seems… excessive."

I laughed. "Oh, you have no idea."

We reached the top of the stairs and made it to our hallway.

"Thank you, Anna. I appreciate the kindness you've shown me tonight."

She smiled warmly. "We have to stick together, don't we? We'll never survive if we don't support each other. Good night, Eloise. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter! I actually really liked writing it. I have some fun stuff in store for the next couple chapters! Keep an eye out for more updates. Hopefully I can update as regularly as possible.**


	21. Chapter 21

"Wait- they think _what_?"

Cynthia had been waiting worriedly for me to return, and when I did she was shocked to hear everything that had happened while I was gone.

"That I'm a spy from Lowendry."

She laughed. "Are you _serious_? You're being accused of being a spy _again_?"

I smiled, then laughed with her. "Isn't it strange?"

She shook her head. "I would bet anything that it was Alice that sent the letter divulging your 'secret.'"

"Do you really think so?"

"Who else would want to sabotage your chances?"

I hesitated. "Almost any of the girls from Cliffside could want to sabotage me."

She shook her head. "They didn't hate you. Not like Alice, anyway."

"Well, it doesn't matter who it was. They didn't give their name, so the damage is done either way."

"That's true. So what are you going to do about it?"

I shrugged. "Nothing. There's nothing I can do."

She frowned. "Come on, Eloise! There must be something you can do! Talk to Madame Trudeau!"

"I can't do that! She has that idea in her head, and I don't think anything could convince her otherwise. There's no way to _prove_ me innocent."

"But there's also no way to prove you guilty- because you _aren't guilty._ "

I nodded. "There's that at least."

The rest of the month was as stressful as I expected. Unsurprisingly, I didn't pass my test- but everyone else did. I was subjected to getting extra lessons during meals and as a result, ended the day hungry. The first night it happened, I was surprised to find a meal waiting in my room with a note from Anna.

 _Eloise-_

 _I asked the girls to bring you a small meal each night so you don't go hungry. I hope it will get better soon for you._

 _-A_

Most of my peers were sympathetic to my plight with Madame Trudeau. They brought me sweets at the end of the day and helped me with subjects I struggled in. I couldn't believe the support I was getting from my fellow Ladies of Opportunity. Despite the fact that we were essentially competing, they didn't mind helping me succeed in one way or another.

Madame Trudeau, on the other hand, found more ways to call me out for insubordination. She accused me of purposely failing and not listening to instructions. She claimed my handwriting was too sloppy and my posture too slouched. No matter how much improvement I made, it was never quite good enough.

A week before the masquerade, we all gathered to make sure our masquerade dresses fit us properly. Madame Trudeau called everyone's name until I was the last one standing and no other boxes were left.

She faced me and glowered at me. "You have proven to be too unpredictable and unruly. Your privileges have been revoked. Perhaps for the next event you can prove yourself."

The other girls quieted down, watching our exchange in shock.

I stared back at her, unsure how to respond. I knew if I countered back, she would only make things worse for me. Finally, I nodded and said in my most amicable voice, "I understand, Madame Trudeau. I will try harder next time."

She narrowed her eyes even further and huffed. "I don't like your tone. Go to your rooms."

"Yes, Madame Trudeau."

I turned and left the room while the rest of the girls watched in confusion. I heard someone begin to speak as I left, but I was too busy trying to keep my composure together to listen to what was being said.

I held back my tears as I walked down the hall. I refused to let anyone I might come across see me in any compromised state. When I reached my room, I let the tears flow and cried until I couldn't any longer. Eventually, Cynthia came and told me it was time for lunch. She comforted me and told me how Anna had spoken up for me, and consequently gotten herself removed from the ball as well.

The day of the ball was a flurry. People had been arriving all week for the ball and were staying in the opposite wing from us. This also included the king and queen, which meant the number of guards had tripled. None of us knew if the prince had traveled with them or would be attending at all- neither did Anna's friends on staff. Everyone was anxious and excited for the ball. Anna and I stayed in her sitting room as the rest of the girls got ready. Several of them had joined us, so the room was full. They complained about how unfair it was for us and how they would try and save the best treats for us. Anna just smiled and nodded, sharing a conspiratorial look with me. I gave her a questioning look in response and she just shook her head.

Finally, they made their way to the ballroom in the center of the palace and left us in the quiet of Anna's sitting room.

They hadn't been gone for more than a few minutes when she grabbed my hand and said, "Come with me!"

I stumbled behind her and asked, "What are we doing? We're supposed to stay here."

She laughed. "I am _not_ missing this ball."

"But we'll get caught! And I don't have a dress!"

She shook her head. "We aren't going _to_ the ball. We're going to go _watch_ it."

"Anna! We can't do that!"

"I have a plan, don't worry."

"Anna!"

"Hush!"

We rushed down the hall and past the stairs to another secret door in the wall.

"How many of these _are_ there?" I whispered.

"More than I can count. I don't even know."

She led me down yet another secret hallway, down a narrow, winding staircase and through a maze of passages. We finally emerged in a hallway lined with windows that angled down over the empty ballroom.

"See?" she said proudly. "No one will know we're here and we can watch the ball and have Jo bring us treats."

As if on cue, Jo emerged at the other end of the hall. She looked annoyed. "Cook almost caught me. Here." She offered a napkin filled with the same sweets that sat on long tables below us. "I need to get back before she questions me. Enjoy." She rushed off and left us alone.

Five old, rickety wooden chairs sat against the wall. Anna pulled three chairs up beside the windows, set the napkin full of treats on the middle chair, and gestured for me to sit. "Come! They should be entering any minute now!"

I looked around uncomfortably, nervous of being caught. I didn't want to sound ungrateful, so I told my friend, "This is incredible, Anna."

She wasn't fooled. "You don't look very pleased."

"What if someone finds out we aren't in our rooms?"

She laughed. "The housemaids are supposed to check to make sure we're still there. They won't tell."

I relaxed a little. "Oh, good."

We didn't have to wait long for the guests to start entering. We oohed and ahhed over the costumes that sparkled and shone in the candle light.

Soon, the king and queen were announced to the room. "The acoustics are incredible!" I remarked. "I can hear the announcements perfectly."

Shortly after the king and queen had settled in their seats, the Ladies of Opportunity were announced and brought forward to meet the monarchs. I sighed. "I can't believe I'm missing this. I was looking forward to meeting them."

Anna shrugged. "We'll have plenty of chances."

"Unless Trudeau kicks me out."

She laughed. "You won't be kicked out."

"You don't know that!"

"Sure I do. You're one of the most skilled and talented girls here. She wouldn't dare kick you out without royal approval- and she won't get that until they meet you and determine that for themselves."

We watched the first dances before we started on the treats Jo had brought us.

"So I guess the prince didn't come tonight after all." I recalled how Lady Pearl Madden had asked if he would be attending. "I bet Pearl is disappointed."

Anna gave a small laugh through a mouthful of cake.

Occasionally a maid would come up to admire the splendor below and say hello to Anna, but none of them stayed for long.

We were joking about Monsieur Bouchard's accent when I caught sight of Captain Keller below. I made a disgusted noise and Anna noticed. "What? Did you see something scandalous?"

I shook my head. "No. Ugh. It's Captain Keller."

"What do you have against the captain?" a deep voice asked behind me.

I yelped, startled by the intruder and worried we were caught. I turned around and felt my face go pale when I saw who it was. His dark, curly hair and unreadable features were unmistakable. Although he wasn't wearing fine clothes, he was most certainly the one who was writing that letter in the bright, gilded room in my dream. I had dismissed the dream as being brought on by being sick, but somehow the man was standing right before my very eyes.

Anna turned to face the man and gasped. She stood and curtsied. "Your Highness."

 _Your Highness._ It echoed in my mind. I couldn't move. I felt frozen in place, unable to properly react to Anna or the man. I just stared at him.

" _Eloise!_ " Anna hissed at me.

"You two aren't servants," he commented. "What are you doing up here?"

"Just admiring the masquerade, Your Highness."

"Shouldn't you be admiring it in person?"

She hesitated, unsure of how to explain our absence.

He laughed. "Don't worry about it. No need to explain." He made his way to the neighboring window beside me.

I finally looked at Anna. She gave me a look that said I needed to do _something_ , _anything_. I stood up abruptly, turned to face the man, and curtsied. "Forgive me, Your Highness."

He smiled faintly. "How about we start from the beginning, hm?" He bowed to us and said, "Crown Prince Daniel. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Anna curtsied first. "Lady Anna Rapp, Your Highness."

I mirrored her actions. "Lady Eloise Taylor, Your Highness."

"Ah," he said knowingly. "You're Lady Taylor."

I frowned in confusion.

He took a step closer. "It's been said that you're a spy, set out to assassinate me." I remained silent, worried about what he was going to say next. "Although there's something about you… I have a feeling you have no ulterior motives whatsoever."

I nodded emphatically. "Yes, Your Highness. That's correct. I have no ill wishes for you."

He raised an eyebrow. "However, you seem to have a grudge against my dear friend, Captain Keller." I felt my face flush with embarrassment as I struggled to find a way to excuse my attitude towards the captain. However, the prince continued, "No worries, Lady Taylor. He's an abrasive person at times. I assume you've had a bad experience with him- probably due to the allegations against your character. He's a protective man. He looks out for my safety. Forgive him for his behavior, please. I will speak with him and assure him you are no threat."

"Your Highness?"

He looked to Anna. "Yes, Lady Rapp?"

"Forgive me if I'm being too forward, but could you also speak to Madame Trudeau? She also seems to have taken the allegations against Lady Taylor a bit too seriously."

"Ah, Madame Trudeau. I assume she is the reason why you are up here?" We nodded. "I will not speak with her personally, but I will ensure it comes to her attention. Forgive me for not telling her directly. Nobody but the king, queen, several guards, and Captain Keller even know I'm here." He paused and gave us a pointed look. "I prefer to keep it that way, you understand."

"Of course, Your Highness," Anna answered. "We won't tell anyone."

"I appreciate your discretion." He looked down at the ballroom below. "I will officially meet you ladies in three months, to celebrate the new year." He turned to leave, then said, "Lady Rapp, you recognized me. Not many people know who I am. You used to be a maid here, were you not?"

"That's correct, Your Highness." She looked worried, afraid of his reaction to her past.

The prince just smiled. "Congratulations, Lady Rapp. I look forward to getting to know you both. Good evening."

We curtsied and waited until his footsteps had faded away before we sat down.

"It's a good thing you reacted that way up here, away from Madame Trudeau!" Anna said in shock. "What got into you?!"

I shook my head, not ready to confess my dream. It was enough to process on my own and I didn't need someone else adding to the confusion. "I wasn't expecting it, I suppose."

She nodded and said, "You can't let that happen again."

"Of course not."

The rest of the night crept by slowly. We watched our peers awkwardly maneuver through the social cues of others, stumble through dances, and stand uncomfortably on the side of the room.

I heard Anna mumble something.

"What?" I asked.

She turned to me with a furrowed brow. "That horrible woman. She had no right to keep you from the ball." She gestured to the scene below, where a man visibly winced at every other step as he danced with Lily Southgate. "You've done better than the rest of those girls in class, and now that she's making you do extra work, you would have looked much better than all of them tonight."

I shook my head. "Not better than Cynthia. These things come naturally to her. Look," I pointed to her graceful figure twirling below, "she fits right in."

She was quiet for a moment while she watched Cynthia. "I suppose. I never paid much attention to her."

"She's an incredible person. I'm so glad to call her my friend."

We settled into an easy silence once again, nibbling on the last of the tiny cakes and sugary treats. I watched Piri Holtzer and Juliet Greene stand comfortably to the side of the room, while Charlotte Hobart danced with as many men as she could.

"You know, nobody has _really_ said anything about it yet, but unless we very clearly break a rule, Trudeau can't kick us out. She might threaten to do it, but she can't. Even if we fail her tests continually, she can't send us home. Only the prince can authorize that. She can write to the royal family about our behaviors and they can give her the permission, but she can't make that decision alone."

"Really?"

"It's true."

"How do you know all of this?" I inquired.

She shrugged and said mysteriously, "I have my ways." Then she laughed and continued, "You can hear a lot in these secret hallways. When they were planning this several years ago-"

"They've been planning this for years?"

"Well, of course. Something like this wasn't planned on a whim. As I was saying, when they were planning this, I was roaming the halls one morning when I heard the royal family and their advisors trying to finalize the final details. That was something they had brought up."

I mulled the information over. "I'm not sure if I'm relieved or nervous about that."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the prince caught us up here and I acted like a fool. What if he decides he didn't like that and writes to Trudeau to send me home?"

She laughed at one of the girls stumbling around on the ballroom floor below us. "I don't think that will happen. He's a good man. He wouldn't do that. Don't worry about it, Eloise. He didn't want anyone to know he was here. He won't give that away just to send you home."

I frowned, unconvinced, but decided not to continue the conversation. "I suppose you're right."

"Say, what _is_ your issue with the captain?" she asked.

My face flushed with frustration. I didn't want to talk about him. "It's like the prince said. He judged my character based on the accusations that I'm a spy, and behaved towards me accordingly."

"Let's hope his behavior changes once the prince speaks with him."

When the king and queen left the masquerade, we made our way back to Anna's sitting room, knowing the ball would be over soon. Shortly after we had made ourselves comfortable, the ladies returned, flush and excited. True to their word, many came to see us and shared the details of the night- and brought more treats for us. We smiled and thanked them, then listened to their tales of old, stuffy men and bad dances.

"So was the prince there?" Anna asked.

Lola Culver groaned and sighed dramatically. "No! Can you believe it? Don't you think we should be meeting him sooner rather than later?"

"Patience, Lola," Pearl Madden said calmly. "Some of us didn't do very well. Personally, I'm grateful for his absence. I don't know _how_ many feet I stepped on tonight. Can you imagine? Stepping on _Crown Prince Daniel's_ feet?"

"I wish you both had been there," Rita commented. "I was so nervous! I would have felt better having as many friends with me as possible."

"You did great, Rita!" Cynthia remarked.

"Nobody did as good as _you_."

Her cheeks flushed red. "Oh, I don't know-"

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Cynthia, don't be silly. I may not have been there, but I have no doubt you did _incredible_."

The girls around us nodded.

"Well, I was still nervous!" she insisted.

"Of course you were! We all were!"

Somebody snorted. "Not _Lady Charlotte_."

Everyone laughed. Lady Charlotte Hobart had proven herself to be the most snobbish of all of the ladies. She, along with Ladies Paige Monroe and Heather Bell, wanted nothing to do with most of us. They were absent from the room whenever we gathered- like we were at the present.

Juliet Greene agreed. "Oh, that's because she thinks she can do nothing wrong. She's practically Madame Trudeau's pet."

One by one, we left Anna and Pearl's sitting room, preparing ourselves for another early morning with Madame Trudeau.

* * *

 **I may or may not have the next two chapters already finished!** I'm so excited that I couldn't help but upload this chapter sooner than I planned. I'm really, really, REALLY excited because things are starting to get good. **PLEASE REVIEW and let me know what you thought!**


	22. Chapter 22

I stood in one of the palace's gardens, looking up at the stars. I hadn't been outside the palace at night before. I walked around, admiring the sculpted hedges and the impossibly vibrant and fragrant flowers. Before I could question how such flowers were blooming so late in the year, I heard voices.

I spun around and saw Prince Daniel and Captain Keller walking directly towards me. It was too late to hide. I quickly curtsied and greeted the prince, but he ignored me and continued to walk with the Captain until they stopped in front of a fountain several feet away.

I stared at them in shock. I was surprised to be so blatantly ignored. I waited a moment, thinking they might address me, then turned to leave. As I was walking away, I heard my name.

I turned back, thinking they had finally decided to acknowledge me, and stepped closer. Instead, they had their backs to me, staring at the fountain. Curious, I made my way closer still, trying to stay hidden in the shadows of the hedges.

As he spoke, Captain Keller's Havarian accent was so thick I almost couldn't understand him. He sounded upset. "How did you manage to run into her, anyway? Trudeau managed to find a way to keep her from the masquerade. She was supposed to be in her rooms all night."

The prince ignored the question and said, "She's innocent. She isn't a traitor, a spy, or a murderer. She's here for honest reasons."

Captain Keller was silent for a moment. "How can you be _sure_ , Daniel? How do you know she's innocent?"

"I don't know! I just do." When the captain remained silent, he added, "Oskar. You know we didn't find anything to suggest that the accusations were true. You have to trust me."

"But her m-"

Suddenly, I heard my name being called. I looked around for the source. When I found none, I turned back to the prince and captain, but they were gone. I look around again and everything else began to fade away.

" _Eloise!_ "

I woke to Cynthia shaking my shoulder. I blinked at her, confused.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were having another episode. You can't be sick."

I sat up, shook my head, and immediately regretted it. Pain rattled inside my head. "My head," I groaned.

"Eloise, we can't be late. Come on. Get dressed, eat, and have some tea. That should help you feel better."

I followed her instructions and by the time we had made it to the study, the pain had eased up in my head.

We were the last to arrive, but thankfully were still there before Madame Trudeau. She strode in shortly after, looking annoyed.

"I am disappointed."

 _What a shock_ , I thought to myself.

"You demonstrated a complete lack of skill last night. Our next big royal social event will be the New Year Celebration Ball. You will be expected to dance flawlessly and behave appropriately by that time, is that understood?"

"Yes, Madame Trudeau," we all replied in unison.

"Good." She paused, scanning the room. "I will place you girls into two groups- one group will be taking extra dance lessons in place of their mathematics studies. The other group will be starting lessons with Captain Keller."

Despite the exhaustion I felt from the extra dance lessons I had already been given, I said a silent prayer that I would be in the first group. I preferred to be as far from Captain Keller as possible. I repeated my prayer over and over, hoping that Madame Trudeau still had a prejudice against me.

"Ah, here he is now. I will take the first group down to the ballroom for the dance lessons and Captain Keller will remain here with the rest of you."

I heard his footsteps approach from the doorway behind me. He made his way to the front of the room and waited for Madame Trudeau to call names.

"The girls who will be going with me are as follows: Lady Southgate, Lady Holtzer, Lady Rapp, Lady Monroe, Lady Madden, and Lady Hobart. The rest of you will remain seated and wait for instruction from the captain."

I felt my face flush with frustration. Of all the times Madame Trudeau showed a lack of trust in my competence, today wasn't one of those times.

Apparently Charlotte felt the same way. "Madame Trudeau!"

She cocked an eyebrow and asked exasperatedly, "What is it, Lady Hobart?"

"How is it possible that _I_ need extra instruction when _she_ wasn't even at the ball?! I am one of the best dancers in this room. There has been some kind of mistake!" Without turning around, Charlotte pointed a finger back at me.

The room was silent as Madame Trudeau stared down her nose at Charlotte. Finally, she sighed and replied, "Lady Hobart, I suggest you collect yourself. First, Lady Taylor had been getting extra instruction already. I did not need a ball to measure her skills. Second, Lady Taylor was _not_ excluded from the ball because of her skills, rather, it was her behavior. She is aware of the work she has in that area." She gave me a pointed, glaring glance, then returned to Charlotte. "Lastly, not only was I at the ball myself, but many of the young men you all danced with last night were planted there specifically to report back to me about your dancing ability. While you were not the worst of the group, you most certainly need more work. I suggest you also work on your behavior- any more outbursts like that and you will not be attending the next social event."

Charlotte huffed angrily, but remained silent.

"If no one else wishes to argue with my decision making, we will make our way to the ballroom. Thank you, Captain Keller. Be sure to dismiss them for lunch precisely on time."

"Yes, of course, Madame Trudeau. Thank you."

Madame Trudeau left with the six girls in tow. I avoided eye contact with Charlotte and Paige, knowing without a doubt that they would be glaring at me as they passed by.

When the door shut behind them, Captain Keller cleared his throat. "Ladies, as you may recall, my name is Captain Keller. I am a captain in the Royal Guard and have specialized in the safety of the royal family. Your studies with me will not be like the other subjects. I encourage you to speak up and ask questions. Should any of you become the prince's bride, you will need to be as well-informed as possible when it comes to your safety and how life works as a member of the royal family." He paused for a moment, as if expecting questions. When nobody spoke up, he appeared disappointed. "Do not blindly trust anyone who gives you information. You have the right to question me and my teachings. Does anyone have any questions?"

Cynthia rose her hand.

"Lady Warner."

Cynthia cleared her throat and asked, "Exactly how dangerous is it to be a part of the royal family?"

He nodded, somewhat pleased with the question. "With the improvements recently made to the Royal Guard and its protocols, it's much safer than ever to be a noble of any station in Rybeth. However, the royal family will receive as many as five _serious_ threats a year."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Anyone else?"

"Lady Culver."

Lola spoke confidently at first. "Forgive me, but you said we have the right to question you-" She stopped, suddenly unsure if she should continue.

"Go on."

"You're only a captain. You aren't a general- not even a major. What makes you qualified to be an expert when it comes to our safety?"

I waited for him to get angry or annoyed with her question. Instead, much to my amazement, he smiled at her. "Excellent! I had hoped someone would ask that very question. Make sure you are always verifying that whoever you put trust in is indeed qualified to keep you safe. It's true. I am only a captain, but I have also only been with the Guardsmen for a year. Prior to my service for the royal family, I was a scholar at the Rybeth Royal University. I assure you, I am plenty qualified. Thank you for your question." He looked around, then locked eyes with me for a brief moment. "Any other questions?"

I rubbed my temples subconsciously. My head began to ache again, and I found it hard to concentrate on what the captain was saying. After several hours, he dismissed us, and I had no idea what he spoke of during that time.

As I began to leave, he called out, "Lady Taylor, would you mind staying behind briefly?"

Cynthia, who was at the door already, stopped to wait for me. We were not supposed to be left unsupervised with a man. There was supposed to be two of us at the same time.

"Lady Warner, you may go. I won't keep her long."

"We're not allowed to be alone with our instructors," she said.

"I assure you that I am no threat to Lady Taylor. I prefer to speak with her privately. If it makes you feel better, you may wait outside the door, but please close it."

She nodded and slipped out the door, closing it behind her.

"Lady Taylor, I owe you an apology." He stopped, but I remained silent, waiting for him to continue. When it was clear I wasn't going to react, he pressed on. "I apologize for my behavior towards you. I doubted your intentions. I assumed the worst of you. I hope you can forgive me."

I raised an eyebrow. I was surprised he was apologizing for doing his job. I shook my head at him, forgetting my headache. I winced at the pain and replied, "There is nothing to apologize for, Captain Keller. You were doing your duty as a member of the Royal Guard and treated me as the threat you suspected me to be."

He looked surprised. "So you know of the allegations against you?"

"Yes. I do."

He leaned against the desk, watching me. My head pounded and all I wanted was to leave. "I appreciate your understanding, Lady Taylor. I truly misjudged you, even after I learned you were innocent of the accusations."

"I'm just grateful the prince was able to convince you otherwise." I couldn't help but rub my aching head.

He looked like he was ready to say something else, but changed his mind. He pushed himself off the desk and strode over to stand in front of me. "Your head hurts?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid I'm going to have to skip lunch. I can barely focus on anything."

"It's that bad?"

I nodded slightly and he reached up to place two fingers on my temple. The spot on my head briefly felt warm, then dissipated. The ache in my head eased up and softly ebbed away.

He dropped his hand to his side. "Do not tell anyone. You may go."

I stared at him in shock and confusion. "How did you-"

"You need to go down to-"

The door flew open and Madame Trudeau strode in, her face contorted with suspicion. "Captain Keller! You are not to be alone with any of the Ladies of Oppor-"

The captain held up a hand and interrupted her. "Madame Trudeau, I doubt the royal family will be pleased to hear you're interfering with the studies of one of your most promising Ladies. They trust me completely and put me in this position for a reason. If you question me, you question their judgement."

I watched the exchange in shock. I never would have thought I would see someone put Madame Trudeau in her place.

"Not only that, but Lady Warner was waiting outside the door the entire time. Now, if you must know, I was simply apologizing for my behavior since she has been cleared of any wrongdoing. I didn't think it would be appropriate to have that conversation in front of the other girls who may have added fuel to the rumors that have been spread about Lady Taylor's character. We need to put an end to the rumors, not allow them to grow any further." He squared his shoulders slightly. "Do we have a problem?"

She sputtered something about disrespect and left the room.

"Please inform me if she continues to harass you and I will see to it that she is dealt with. She is not convinced of your innocence." I continued to stare at him, and I could see his patience growing thin. He walked back to the desk and waved at me dismissively. "You may go now."

I nodded and left the room quickly.

The next several weeks went by without another incident. Captain Keller seemed indifferent to my existence. Madame Trudeau still treated me with suspicion, but with significantly less malice. Charlotte, Paige, and Heather, on the other hand, grew increasingly spiteful towards me as I continued to prove myself worthy of my station.

One morning, instead of going to the study, we were sent to the dining hall to see Madame Trudeau. We gathered around excitedly, eager to have a change in routine.

"Ladies, I have an announcement. With winter weather imminent, we will be traveling south to the royal family's winter home next week. You will be staying with them for several months, so you will need to be on your best behavior. I will not be traveling with you. When you are there, you will be under the watchful eye of the Duchess of Brightcastle." She paused to see if we would react. When we didn't, she pressed on. "As you know, some of your sponsors were unable to attend the masquerade ball, so we rescheduled their visit. Now you will be meeting them in two weeks at a luncheon with Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Lorraine."

Despite all of the news, we remained silent. Madame Trudeau appeared pleased by our lack of outbursts and continued, "You will not have any lessons this week so we can prepare for the trip. There will be one maid assigned to each suite. The maids will assist you in packing your things. Do not leave anything behind. There is no guarantee that you will return. Now please return to your rooms and wait for further instruction."

We silently filed out of the room. Once we were certain we were out of her earshot, we began speculating about the turn of events.

"Princess Lorraine? I didn't know we had a princess," someone admitted.

"Me either!" whispered another. "Why are they so secretive about their family?!"

I couldn't tell who it was, but I heard a panicked voice ask, "What did she mean when she said there's no guarantee that we'll return? Do you think the prince will choose his bride before then?"

"It sounded more like they might send some of us home early!"

The girls around me kept getting more nervous. I exchanged an exasperated look with Cynthia and said loudly, "Quiet! We must stay calm. Why are you getting so worried over this? We will find out soon enough. As far as being secretive, maybe they're just protective. Captain Keller said they get threats quite often. I doubt they have any malicious intent in keeping their lives private. If we all work hard and prove ourselves, we might not get sent home- if it comes to that." Everyone was silent as I finished.

"You always know what to say," Piri said softly. "Thank you, Eloise."

I nodded. "We should be excited! We have a whole week of no lessons! No dancing!"

A few girls smiled and nodded amicably. "We finally have time to relax!" Rita said cheerfully.

Unfortunately, the remainder of the week did not allow for much rest. There was much more to do than simply assisting our maids with packing. We had to be briefed on safety concerns when traveling long distances. We would be taking three different routes to the palace with four of us to a carriage.

When it came time to leave, everything was perfectly planned out. Cynthia and I rode in a carriage with Heather and Lola. We were the first to leave the Celestial Palace, and the last to arrive at the winter home. The trip was long and much more grueling that anyone had anticipated. We were caught in the middle of several storms and had a hard time finding inns that could host our entire party. When we finally saw the royal residence, we were overjoyed.

The royal residence was a castle perched upon the coast with a tall stone wall surrounding it to keep out unwanted visitors from the sea. Its facade was made of marble, but that was where the similarities ended between it and the palace we had left behind. The winter home itself was much smaller and older than the Celestial Palace. It was clearly only meant for the royal family, not to entertain large groups.

"How will they fit all of us and our sponsors?" asked Cynthia.

Heather, who had kept to herself for most of the trip, spoke up. "There are several nearby manors that the monarchy owns. They host any overflow of guests there."

I looked at her with surprise.

She shrugged and answered my unspoken question. "My mother works in one of them."

Lola looked surprised. "I thought you were a merchant's daughter."

"I am. My father, a merchant, wants nothing to do with me, but none of _them_ needed to know that. I was not born to be a maid or a cook. I've been training to be a Lady of Opportunity since I was small."

Cynthia smiled. "You've succeeded, then."

"I won't consider myself successful until I am married. Preferably to the prince." Heather gave us an almost threatening glance and faced the window as we pulled past the gates and into the courtyard.

We were given a warm greeting by a woman who introduced herself as Duchess Dolores Newton of Brightcastle. I guessed her to be around my mother's age. She had thick, dark hair that was streaked with silver strands. She was short and thin with soft edges, and spoke with a slight, almost undetectable, accent.

Lola leaned in and said softly, "The queen's sister."

Duchess Newton led us into the castle, introduced us to the heads of staff that waited for us, then left us to the housekeeper who would show us to our rooms. As th The inside was warm and inviting. The decor and furnishings reminded me of the small, aged castle at Cliffside, and I thought warmly of the Duchess of Tyberon.

The housekeeper led us to our rooms. Unsurprisingly, the rooms were much smaller than the ones at the palace. We were assigned two girls to a room with no sitting room. I didn't mind sharing a room with Cynthia again, although I had grown accustomed to a private sitting room. I was just grateful I didn't have to share with anyone else. Our trunks and belongings, which had been sent ahead of us, were waiting for us inside.

After our smaller trunks from the carriage were brought up and we were given tea, we finally allowed ourselves a brief rest. I sat down in a chair beside Cynthia and sighed.

She smiled at me and held up her teacup in a mock toast. "Well, here's to the next chapter of our adventure!"

* * *

 **Please review! I would love to hear if you found any errors.** (Thank you to those who have alerted me to the errors in my last chapter- they have been fixed. I also proof-read this one thoroughly this time.) **Please let me know what you think! Lots is happening!** Also, I want to let you know: I have the next four chapters all finished and typed up. So you'll be getting those within a decent time frame. I look forward to your feeback!


	23. Chapter 23

"Do I look alright?"

I glanced over at Cynthia and grinned. "You look beautiful- _as always_."

She sighed and smoothed her skirts. "I'm so nervous!"

"You will be _fine_ ," I said soothingly. "You're beautiful, talented, and the best person I know. You have absolutely no reason to worry about this luncheon."

"What if I forget which fork to use?!"

"You never forget which fork to use." I walked over to the window beside her. "What is this really about? You're never _this_ nervous. I'm usually the nervous one who needs to be calmed down."

"We're meeting the royal family! And my sponsor! I don't know what she's like!"

" _Breathe,_ Cynthia. We aren't meeting the _entire_ royal family. We're having lunch with the queen and princess. The princess is a little girl who probably won't be hard to impress. There will be lots of other women in the room, and none of us are as natural at this than you." I reached out and grasped her hand. "Concerning your sponsor, you have nothing to worry about there. You have been writing back and forth with her- everything will be fine."

She nodded, breathing deeply. "You're right, Eloise. You're always right." She straightened her posture, smiled, and said, "You look lovely, too. Both of us will impress everyone in that room beyond expectations!"

I grinned. "Absolutely!"

Just then, the Duchess of Brightcastle knocked on our door exactly on schedule. She gathered all of us by the stairs and briefed us on what to expect.

"You will be seated beside your sponsor. When you enter, the queen will be waiting to receive you. You will wait to be announced before you approach her. When you hear your name, step forward and curtsey. You need only call her 'Your Majesty' once, and then ma'am will do after that. Any questions? Yes?"

"Do you have any advice for us, Your Grace?"

She smiled. "Don't complain. Don't make a fuss. Be kind to the princess. She's a very gentle child. I'm sure you will all do wonderfully."

She led us down the stairs and into the dining hall. We waited outside as they announced us, one by one, to be presented to the queen. I stood behind Rita and tried to keep my hands from shaking too violently. All too soon, Rita's name was called and then I was next.

"Lady Eloise Taylor of Ravendale."

I entered as confidently as I could. I smiled sweetly at the queen, who stood inside the door with a welcoming smile. Princess Lorraine stood obediently beside her. The queen looked nearly identical to her sister, the Duchess. Her dark hair, which had yet to gray, was elegantly styled with a tasteful crown adorning her head. She wasn't as short as her sister, but they shared the same soft edges. Wrinkles danced at the corner of her eyes when she smiled. The princess, as we had been told, was eight years old. She had the same dark, curly hair as her brother with the soft, rounded face of her mother. I stopped in front of them and gave the most graceful curtsey I had ever done. I rose and smiled as charmingly as I could. The queen bowed her head, still smiling at me. With that, our interaction was over and I backed away, making sure not to turn my back to them. Once I was safe to turn to the table, I searched for the Duchess of Tyberon. A footman appeared at my side and ushered me to the seat beside the duchess near the middle of the table.

"Eloise!" she exclaimed in a whisper. She beamed at me and grasped my hand with joy. "How lovely it is to see you again!"

I knew better than to speak out of turn in the presence of the queen, so I just smiled and squeezed her hand in return. I glanced at the queen, who was now greeting Lola. I looked over at Cynthia, who was waiting patiently beside her sponsor. She noticed me looking and smiled at me excitedly.

After Lola, Paige was the last, and then the luncheon began. The queen stood at the head of the table and smiled at each of us. "My dears, it is an honor to host you at our home for the winter. I am pleased to be able to host your esteemed sponsors today as well. It is a joy to have such a delightful group of women gathered together to share a meal. I personally oversaw the menu selection. I've chosen all my favorites and I hope you will enjoy them as well. Once the main course is finished, I have a little surprise for you all." Her eyes sparkled excitedly. "Now please, be seated and enjoy your meal."

After she was seated, the rest of us followed suit. I glanced around the table, noticing everyone had a sponsor. That meant there were twenty-seven women seated around the table, including the queen, princess, and Duchess of Brightcastle. Maybe it was because of the lessons with Captain Keller, but all I could think of was prying ears and eyes.

"Now, Eloise. Tell me about everything that's happened since I last saw you."

I smiled. "I couldn't possibly share everything. There's simply too much to tell! It's been absolutely wonderful."

She eyed me knowingly. "Mm. Yes, I can imagine." She lowered her voice to a hush. "Have you met the prince yet?"

I briefly considered confiding in her about my chance encounter with the prince the night of the ball. Instead, I continued smiling. "No, not yet. We're supposed to meet him at the New Year Celebration Ball, I believe. That's what we've been told, anyway."

"Ah. You must be quite impatient. It's been a long time coming, has it not?"

I shook my head politely. "Perhaps, but for the most part I'm really enjoying the experience. Our studies keep us busy and I am excited to learn anything I can."

She patted my hand. "Has anyone been giving you any trouble?"

I gave a sweet laugh and answered, "I haven't been slapped, so things are going well."

She laughed along with me. "Have you made any friends?"

"Cynthia is still my closest friend here, but I get along very well with the other ladies." I lowered my voice slightly. "And I'm very glad I do! I was afraid to meet more vindictive girls like Alice Guiles."

"I'm so glad to hear that!"

The first course arrived in beautiful silver serving ware and it all smelled delicious. I was eager to try the queen's favorite foods, because my mother always said you could tell a lot about a person from the food they served. As the footmen made their way around the table, I was surprised to find very comforting foods; I had expected exquisite and complicated dishes that I had never heard of before. While the food being served was certainly more regal than anything my mother made, the taste was just as satisfying.

As we ate, I enjoyed listening to the chatter around the table. To my surprise, I discovered that every sponsor was a former Lady of Opportunity. I had expected more of them to have been born into nobility, but instead they were all too familiar with the path we were all currently on. I wondered if they had volunteered to be sponsors or if they had been asked. As the meal went on, nearly all of the sponsors shared stories of their experiences as Ladies of Opportunity. They spoke of the difficulties and the joys, how they were so grateful and blessed to have had the privilege to represent their counties.

Finally, when the last of the food was being cleared away, the queen called for our attention. We listened carefully as she spoke. "In a little over a month, we will be hosting the New Year Celebration Ball. This week you will meet with the royal dressmakers to design a dress specifically to your wishes. I will be frank with you- this _will_ be a test to ensure you can choose a wardrobe that is appropriate and fit for a queen. Your hairstyle will be judged as well. The ball is an important event for the royal family. It's important we show our esteemed guests what they can expect from us in the year to come. Now, I know you have already been told that you will meet my son, the crown prince, at this event." She paused for a moment, watching us. "You've waited quite a long time to meet the man for whom you are all competing. I commend your patience and hard work. I have been in correspondence with Madame Trudeau and she has sung praises of your hard work and dedication."

I caught the eye of Piri, who sat directly across from me. We both stifled smiles at the thought of Madame Trudeau singing our praises, and returned our eyes to the queen.

"It has been discussed and consequently decided that you ladies deserve a reward for your commitment to this newfound duty of yours. Your sacrifices and dedication have not been overlooked. The king and I are grateful to have such a wonderful group of young women vying for our son's hand. As a way to thank you, you will get to spend some quality time with your sponsors, as planned, but you will also be meeting the prince one-on-one."

I felt my stomach drop. I didn't want to see him face-to-face. I was looking forward to officially meeting him as a large group where I wouldn't have to talk about our first encounter. However, I played the part and reacted excitedly to the news like the rest of the girls.

After letting us react for a moment, the queen continued, "You will be allowed to spend time in the library or parlor with your sponsor. Her Grace, Duchess of Brightcastle, will come and find you when it is your turn. Now, Princess Lorraine and I will be retiring to our quarters for the afternoon. I wish you ladies a good day." She stood and we all followed suit. She bowed her head at us, we curtsied, and she left the room with the princess in tow.

The Duchess cleared her throat and, before we could properly react to the news we had received, said, "I will fetch the first lady in an hour or so. Please feel free to switch between the parlor and library. Have a delightful afternoon."

The room remained restrained until she left. Once she was out the door, we exchanged excited glances and squeals of joy.

"Are you excited?" the duchess asked.

I nodded hesitantly. "Yes… and no. I'm very nervous."

"You don't think he will like you?"

"It's hard to say. I think it's just the normal kind of nerves someone might feel when they're about to meet the most eligible man in the country," I said with a tight laugh.

She raised an eyebrow and we left the dining hall towards the library. "You know you can speak plainly to me, right? I know what it's like."

"Of course. It's just…" I looked around and said softly, "I'm not sure who else can be trusted."

"I see." She looked around thoughtfully. "I understand. Perhaps we can find a quiet corner to talk when we get to the library."

We found as secluded of a corner as possible and I told her the basics of what had been happening. I didn't tell her about my dreams or meeting the prince, but I told her of the rumors and how I had been kept from the masquerade.

"A shame," she lamented. "I do love a good masquerade!"

I smiled. "Perhaps I'll go to another some day."

"Oh, my dear, you most certainly will. You're a lady now. You'll be invited to scores of masquerade balls in your lifetime no matter what happens in the next year. Perhaps you will even _host_ the Royal Masquerade one day." She gave me a conspiratorial wink and smiled. "You never know!"

I laughed good-naturedly. "I just hope the prince doesn't decide to send me home today!"

"He would never. You're too lovely of a young woman to toss aside. You would make any man lucky."

"For now, I just want to focus on my studies and get through all of the exams and silly tests. It's been a lot of work, and now I need to learn what's appropriate for a royal family member to wear." I sighed and relaxed into the plush back of my chair. She gave me a strange, lopsided smile and I asked, "What is it?"

"You are enjoying it, though. You're no stranger to hard work. You like being challenged. I can tell, Eloise."

I thought about that for a moment. "You're right. I _am_ enjoying all of this. It may be exhausting, but I love it."

A couple more hours went by before the Duchess of Brightcastle appeared. "Lady Taylor, the prince is ready to meet you now."

I stood and smiled. "Thank you, Your Grace." I turned back to my own duchess friend, who had stood with me.

"Lady Taylor, it's been a delight talking with you again. I'm afraid I've exhausted myself today and will return to the manor where I am staying. Thank you for the company. We'll be in touch." She gave me a quick embrace, kissed my cheek, and left.

I followed the queen's sister up the stairs to a dark and comfortable study. The prince stood at the window, watching the sea below. I noticed Captain Keller in the corner. "Your Highness," he called to the prince.

The prince turned and gave me a bright, welcoming grin.

"May I introduce His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Daniel of Rybeth," the duchess said.

I curtsied with less confidence than I had with the queen.

"Your Highness, may I introduce Lady Eloise Taylor of Ravendale."

He gave a short bow and thanked the duchess. She backed out of the room and shut the door. I felt frustration set in when I realized that Captain Keller was the supervision. I had hoped the duchess would stay behind with us.

"Lady Eloise. We meet again."

"Your Highness. It's a pleasure."

He gestured to a chair opposite a large, imposing desk. "Please, be seated." He moved around to the other side and sat down. Once he was seated comfortably, I followed suit. "You know Captain Keller." He gestured towards the captain.

"Yes, sir."

"I hope he's treating you better now?"

I blushed, surprised by his blunt way of speaking. I hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Oh, of course."

"Good." He leaned back in his chair and smiled again. "It's nice to _officially_ meet you. How has your stay been here at the castle?"

"Very pleasant, thank you, sir."

"Please, you don't need to address me as anything at the moment. You could be my wife one day. Let us talk as friends, hm?"

My face flushed red again. "If you insist," I said hesitantly.

"Captain Keller tells me you're an excellent student. The best among your peers."

"To be fair, he has had only six of us to judge from," I said jokingly, then felt panic set it. Was it inappropriate to joke with the prince?

He just laughed. "No matter what, you seem to impress him. It's not an easy feat to impress Captain Keller, Royal Scholar."

I glanced over at the captain in surprise. "Is that so?"

He just blinked.

"Come on, Oskar."

He looked at the prince with annoyance. "Yes, Lady Taylor. You are a skilled pupil." He spoke softly and his accent stuck out.

"I would very much like to be your friend," the prince said to me. "There's something about you. I can't quite put a finger on it, but I think we'll get along very well indeed."

I smiled brightly at the prince. "I'd like that. You're easy to talk to, if you don't mind me saying." It was true, I was surprised to find how easily it was to talk to him so casually.

He smiled, true and genuine joy crossing his features. "Thank you, Lady Eloise. The same to you. I look forward to getting to know you more. Actually, I would like to know what has been the best part of this whole experience for you."

"The food," I replied without hesitation.

He seemed startled and entertained by my immediate response. He barked out a laugh and asked, "Is that so? I suppose we do feed everyone quite well."

I laughed with him. "Well, the food is indeed delicious, but I'm actually enjoying my studies. I'm missing the languages studies- and your friend is a very good instructor himself."

I took a quick look at the captain, only to see him smirk ever so slightly.

"He's a very capable teacher. We went to school at the university together and had to tutor me extensively. That's how he came to work for us. Did you know that?"

I shook my head. "I didn't. What sort of hobbies did you have while you were there? Do you have any special hobbies now?"

His face brightened. "You know, nobody has ever asked me that!"

"Lady Warner asked you that earlier today," the captain reminded him.

He rolled his eyes. "Nobody has asked me _before today_ , that is. I am very excited that I have had _two_ people ask me what I like to do with my time. I think I'm going to enjoy having these ladies around!" He smiled back at me and replied, "Since you asked, I do have a couple hobbies. I like to paint, actually, and I love riding. It pains me when it's too cold to ride- days like this, for example." He raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of Lady Cynthia, you are both from Ravendale, are you not? What can you tell me about her? I like to hear what someone's peers say about a person."

I felt my face light up. "Oh, you'll only hear good things from me about Lady Cynthia. She's a dear friend and an incredible person." I chuckled and said, "You may as well cancel this whole thing and just marry her tomorrow. You will find no one better than her." After it came out, I could have sworn my heart stopped. Had I actually just said that to _the prince_?

His eyes narrowed, and for a moment I worried I had crossed a line too far. But instead, he smiled fondly and chuckled. "I will keep that in mind." He looked down at the desk in thought for a moment, then said, "I like how you speak of your friend and I like how honest you are. I hope someday you'll speak that highly of me."

"Judging from our first encounters, I have no doubt that I will someday speak that highly of you."

We smiled fondly at each other for a moment, and I felt a warm kinship with the prince. I wasn't sure if I would ever marry him, but I knew we would get along quite well.

* * *

 **Hey readers! Thanks for sticking with me! Please let me know what you think! I loved writing this last scene between Eloise, the prince, and the captain. They're going to be fun characters to explore.** Anyway,I am 99% sure I proof-read it properly. It's late, so let's hope it's all good! Hope you enjoyed!


	24. Chapter 24

"How was your meeting with the prince?" Cynthia asked as we prepared for bed.

I giggled. "Your name came up."

She dropped her brush. "It did?"

"Twice."

She scrambled to pick it back up, then set it down on her vanity. "Don't tease me like that, Eloise."

"I'm not! We talked about you!"

Her cheeks flushed as she asked, "What did you talk about?"

I relayed our conversation to her, complete with my joke about the prince marrying her.

" _You didn't!_ " she gasped. Her face paled at the idea of it.

"Oh yes. I did- and am completely mortified that I said it. I don't know what had gotten into me. I felt a connection to him, and I couldn't help but feel comfortable around him."

A strange look crossed Cynthia's face. "You felt a connection? Do you think…?" she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

I grinned. She was jealous! "Oh! You like him already, don't you?"

She nodded bashfully. "Oh, Eloise. You have no idea. I felt a connection too. I never thought I would feel this way so quickly! But I don't want to compete with you…"

"Cynthia, no. I don't want to compete with you either. The connection I felt wasn't romantic." I actually hadn't been sure until this very moment, but suddenly, I knew. "I felt a connection like I feel with you- a comfortable ease, a kinship. I have a feeling the prince and I could be very good friends someday, but that's all I feel for him. "

She looked skeptical. "You don't have to say that. We can just pretend this conversation never happened."

I walked over and grasped her hands. " _Cynthia_." I looked into her eyes. "I swear I am telling you the truth. He asked about you. He was interested in you. He liked that you asked him about his hobbies."

"But you asked him too."

I shook my head. "But he could have asked more questions about me. Instead, he asked about _you_."

She smiled at me with hope. "You really don't feel anything for him?"

"Right now, the only feeling for him I have is that I would like to be his friend." I sighed. "I can't promise that I won't fall for him or marry him. I honestly don't know that. But for now I can assure you that all I want from the prince is friendship."

"Eloise, you're a good friend."

"Why, thank you!" I smiled playfully. "Prince Daniel thought so. He liked how I spoke of you."

She swatted at me with a giggle. "Stop teasing me!"

"Okay, I _was_ teasing you that time, but he really did say that!"

Her cheeks flushed red again and she pushed me away playfully. " _Go to bed, Eloise!_ "

I threw my hands up in surrender. "As you wish!"

During the weeks leading up to the ball, we had a lot of work to do. We had to help design our dresses, have more lessons, and try to avoid the royal family. Tensions ran high among some of the girls as they began to let the atmosphere become competitive. Now that the prince was in the picture, it was harder to ignore the reason why we were here in the first place. At first, it only affected Charlotte, Paige, and Heather. I wasn't surprised when they began to bicker and argue about the prince. Then Lola and Pearl got drawn into what Rita called "the prince madness." Even Anna and Lily let it get to them a little.

Eventually things got so tense that Piri, Juliet, and Rita regularly came to our room for refuge.

"They're arguing about who's allowed to wear red to the ball!" Rita groaned. "We only have two days before the ball! How could they think arguing about dress colors this close to the celebration?"

"I know!" cried Juliet in frustration. "Paige refuses to speak to Heather because _Paige_ is wearing a light blue dress with a white feather in her hair and _Heather_ is wearing a dark blue dress with a bluefeather in her hair."

I sighed despondently. "It's insane! We met the prince _once_ and suddenly they're letting it go to their heads. They should be ashamed."

"They keep trying to make their meetings with him sound like he confessed his love right then and there." Piri rolled her eyes. "As if we didn't all basically have the same conversations with him."

Cynthia and I exchanged grins. "Exactly," she said. "He seems like a rational and decent person. He wouldn't rush into anything, and he would never make promises that he couldn't keep."

We nodded in agreement and heard the bell for lunch.

"Finally! I'm starving!" Juliet slid off Cynthia's bed and smoothed her skirts. "Let's go! I want to get there before the rest so we can all sit together. I do not want to have to sit between Charlotte and Anna _again_."

We rushed out of the room in as ladylike of a manner as possible, but still managed to find the dining hall occupied when we arrived. At first I felt a pang of disappointment, then realized the queen, duchess, and princess were waiting for us.

I quickly curtsied. "Your Majesty. Your Highness. Your Grace."

I followed the footman to my seat. We waited patiently as several others entered.

The queen smiled at those of us who had arrived early. "Ladies, it's a pleasure to see you again. Forgive us for dropping in without notice. I thought it might be nice to-"

"You did it on purpose!" I heard a voice yell from down the hall.

I heard another voice respond, quieter and calmer.

"Oh, please! You're lying!"

As the one voice continued to echo into the dining hall, the queen's warm expression turned to annoyance. "Dolores, please see what's going on. I will not have such conduct in my halls."

The duchess stepped out and the voices quieted immediately. Soon, Heather entered, looking sheepish. Pearl, Lily, and Lola were not far behind. They walked in with startled looks on their faces. The duchess whispered something to the queen and left the room. The queen smiled at the rest of us. "Please, have a seat."

After we were seated, I realized that Paige had not joined us. While the queen exchanged pleasantries with those closest to her, I leaned in to Rita and whispered, " _Was that Paige who was yelling and making a scene?_ "

She nodded. " _It sounded like her. It looks like she got mad at Heather. Did you see her face?_ "

I looked across and down the table at Heather, whose cheeks were still flushed. " _That makes sense. What do you think they will do with her?_ "

She glanced down at the queen, still preoccupied with the other half of the table. _"She made a scene in front of the royal family. It's up to the queen to decide. I don't know what they might do about her outburst."_

Our luncheon was uncharacteristically quiet. The tension in the air was so thick, I almost felt it hard to breathe.

Finally the dishes were cleared and the queen stood. "Ladies, I will address what I'm sure you're all eager to know. You are curious about what consequences Lady Monroe will face after her outburst. Do not concern yourselves about such things, but let it be a lesson to you. You must not make a mistake like that. It is a myth that royalty gets whatever they want whenever they want, and that we can behave however we want. As a member of the royal family, we are expected to behave better. We are supposed to keep our emotions in check. We cannot throw tantrums when something happens that we do not like. You may never know who is within earshot. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," we replied in unison.

"Thank you for a lovely lunch, ladies. I look forward to celebrating with you in two days. Feel free to spend the afternoon in the library or parlor if you so wish. Today and tomorrow will be your chance to take a breath and relax. You have no obligations until the day of the celebration. Just stay away from the ballroom."

On the day of the New Year Celebration Ball, we met in the parlor to get our hair styled. I went with a simple, elegant look that I felt would showcase my mother's hair comb. When I was finished, I looked around the room with curiosity. Some girls had pearls woven in their hair, some had a whole garden of flowers tied into their locks. Charlotte and Heather had their hair styled in trendy, elaborate coiffures. Heather wore a large blue feather in her hair. Paige was not allowed to attend the ball after her outburst, which made Heather extra proud of her fashion choices. I heard Charlotte snicker behind my back as I left the room to get dressed. "How _boring_. Does she really think that's appropriate for an occasion such as this?"

I brushed it off, confident in my choice of a simple style. I arrived in my room as Cynthia finished getting dressed with the help of two maids. She turned to face me and smiled. "What do you think?" She twirled, showcasing the soft shimmer of her champagne colored fabric. She wore a violet sash and violet-colored silk flowers in her golden hair.

"Cynthia, you look like amazing!" I cried, clapping my hands in excitement.

She blushed. "You think so?"

"Oh, absolutely." I made my way behind the screen to change into my own dress. The maids fluttered around me, oohing and ahhing over the fabric of my dress.

Once the dress was snugly secured on my figure, I stepped out from behind the screen.

"You look like a dream!"

I smiled and swished the soft fabric of my skirts. The designer and I had agreed on a soft, flowing fabric that I had never seen before. It was a rich, emerald green and adorned with flowers embroidered in white. I pulled out my mother's box to wear her necklace and hair comb once more. Without having to ask, Cynthia carefully placed the comb in my hair and clasped the necklace for me.

"There. Almost perfect."

"Almost perfect?" I asked as she made her way to her vanity.

She pulled out a small box and held it out to me. "A gift. From my brother. Walter is a little disappointed you have a fancy duchess sponsor now, so he asked me what you might like. I suppose it's a little bit from me, too, then."

I took the box from her and carefully opened it. Inside was a set of earrings that matched my mother's necklace and comb perfectly. I felt tears well up and I managed to say, "Oh, Cynthia. They're perfect."

She beamed with pride at picking out such a perfect gift. "Only as perfect as the person who will be wearing them."

I pulled her into an embrace. "Thank you. I only wish I had a gift for you!"

"Don't be silly. I don't need anything. Your friendship is enough."

I shook my head. "I _will_ find a way to repay you for all your kindness one day."

A knock came at the door and one of the maids opened it to reveal Juliet in a beautiful pink gown. She breezed in and said, "I can't believe it! I can't wait to dance with the prince!" She sighed dreamily and fanned herself. She maintained her pose for a brief moment before dissolving into giggles. "I swear to you, that's exactly what I saw Charlotte doing just now." Cynthia and I laughed along with her and I even saw the maids cover their own giggles.

" _Are_ you excited to dance with him though?" Cynthia asked once we had all calmed down.

"Of course I am. A little." I raised an eyebrow at Juliet. She seemed to be keeping something from her answer. She rolled her eyes at me. "Fine! I just didn't feel anything special for him at that first meeting."

"It was just a short little meeting. There's still time." I smiled encouragingly to her.

"Did you two feel anything?"

I shrugged. "I felt comfortable around him. I'm not sure how I feel yet."

"Cynthia?"

She blushed. "Like Eloise said, it was such a brief meeting. I really couldn't say."

"Ladies!" we heard someone call from down the hall.

"It's time!" Cynthia said excitedly and rushed out the door.

Later on, I watched Cynthia gleefully dance with the prince. I hadn't seen the prince dressed up yet, so I was almost surprised to see him look the part of crown prince. He wore a cream-colored jacket with a blue royal sash and medals adorning his chest. I watched him and Cynthia with amusement as they spun across the floor. They seemed to be matched perfectly. They moved together effortlessly and even looked as though they had coordinated their attire. As the dance ended, someone came up beside me.

"Lady Taylor."

I looked over to see Captain Keller beside me in his dress uniform. I gave him a faint smile. His uniform made him look very handsome. "Captain Keller."

"Would you care to dance?"

"Oh!" I couldn't help but appear startled by the question. "Yes, thank you."

He offered his arm and led me to the dance floor. We began the dance in silence and I looked around to see the prince dancing with Juliet. I smiled, thinking of our earlier conversation.

"He likes you," the captain said abruptly.

"Hmm?"

"The prince. He likes you."

I blinked, unsure how to respond. "Well, I like him also."

He smirked. "I'm glad to hear it." We fell silent again. "You're a very good student. I hope you'll continue to be dedicated to your studies."

I laughed. "I have no plans to abandon my studies, Captain Keller." Then I realized what he was trying to say. "Forgive me, but are you suggesting that because I am a woman, I would give up my studies for a man?"

His face flushed. "I would never. I only mean to say… that is…" He sighed. "I only meant that if the prince proposes to you, I hope you'll continue to study even after all of this is over."

I laughed. "Captain Keller, I assure you, I plan to continue studying after this ends- no matter what happens."

"I'm glad to hear it." He fell silent again and we continued to follow the steps of the dance. "We'll be starting a new subject in the spring. I believe you'll excel in it."

"Oh? What subject is that?"

"You will find out in the spring."

I raised an eyebrow. "I see."

The song ended and he bowed to me, which I returned with a curtsey. "It was a pleasure," he said.

"The pleasure was all mine."

I returned to the side of the room and stood beside Piri. She smiled. "Have you danced with him yet?"

"The prince? No. Not yet. Have you?"

"No." She gestured to the dance floor. "I saw you dancing with the captain. Is he a good dancer?"

"I would say so."

"That's good. He's so short compared to the prince."

"I suppose he is. It didn't affect his dancing."

We stood in awkward silence until the prince approached.

"Lady Holtzer, may I have this dance?"

He led her to the dance floor and Anna appeared at my side. "Isn't this exciting?" she asked.

"It's really something."

"Have you danced with the prince?"

I winced inwardly. I didn't want this to be the only topic of conversation for the evening. "No. You?"

She smiled proudly. "I have. He's an excellent dancer."

"That's good to know."

"I was afraid he would think less of me since he knows I was a maid. He doesn't, though. He treats me like a lady."

I smiled. "That's wonderful. He seems like a very fair and reasonable man."

"He doesn't seem to care for Piri," she commented, as we watched them glide by.

I felt disappointed in her readiness to tear down Piri. "Excuse me, I need to find something to drink." I quickly slipped away and found Cynthia.

"There you are! I've been wondering where you've been." She looked radiant, excited about the festivities. She saw the look of frustration on my face and asked, "Oh, Eloise. What's the matter?"

I looked around to see who was nearby and sighed. "Everyone seems to be letting the prince get in the way of their friendships, their excitement. I still can't believe Anna is letting it get to her. She seemed so reasonable."

"I hope I'm not behaving that way," she said worriedly.

"No, not at all."

She pursed her lips. "Will you tell me if I do?"

"Without a doubt."

"Good."

The song ended and the prince appeared. "Lady Taylor, would you care to dance?"

"It would be my pleasure, Your Highness."

I waved to Cynthia and allowed the prince to lead me to the dance floor. We fell into the pattern of the dance with ease.

"Tell me, Lady Taylor, what do you think of the splendor?"

I smiled. "It's lovely. Your mother has impeccable taste."

He laughed. "She will be tickled to hear that you think so." He glanced around and said, "Tell me about your peers."

"What would you like to know?"

I could have sworn he blushed. "We're friends, correct? We decided that we will be friends when we last met."

"Absolutely," I agreed.

"Then please, I'd like to know: do any of them seem to be overly affected by my presence?"

I frowned, hesitant to respond, but something about him made me feel like I could confide in him. "Most of them do fawn over you, although some seem more motivated than others."

He nodded. "Thank you. I don't need any names. I just needed someone I could trust to tell me the truth."

I narrowed my eyes. "Do you not feel that any of the others are trustworthy?"

He thought about his answer before replying, "It isn't that I distrust them. I simply needed to ask someone who I feel isn't after me, the position, or my wealth."

"How do you know that's not what I'm after?"

He grinned. "I just know."

* * *

 **Sorry! I meant to upload this last night, but it was a busy weekend! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I'm currently working on some good stuff, so stay tuned. Let me know what you thought!**


	25. Chapter 25

After the ball, both Cynthia and I received letters from the prince thanking us for being pleasant dancing partners and good company. We wrote back to him, thanking him for the same and quickly began regular correspondence with him. He wrote about things that excited him and things that bored him. He asked me about Cynthia and how we were both adjusting to the crazy schedule the Ladies of Opportunity had to follow.

We returned to our studies two days after the ball. True to her word, the queen had our attire and appearance judged. She had a royal stylist gather the girls who hadn't dressed in a way that mirrored the royal family's values. I was surprised to find that I had passed. Charlotte, Heather, Piri, and Lily were required to have several extra lessons to learn what a woman of royal standing was expected to wear. Charlotte and Heather had dressed too elaborately, while Piri and Lily had been too plain.

Monsieur Bouchard and Mr. Bray had followed us to the castle to ensure we would continue our studies throughout the winter. Mrs. Stafford remained behind while all of us continued studying with Captain Keller. The queen's sister took the time to teach us embroidery whenever we had a spare moment. We kept a surprisingly busy schedule throughout the cool winter. We hosted several luncheons with the local noblewomen and provided meals for the needy at one of the royal family's nearby manors. Each of us had one more one-on-one meeting with the prince. The entire group had weekly meals with everyone in the royal family. I had been nervous to be in such close proximity to the king, but he ended up being as personable as his son and wife.

The weather slowly turned from chilly to balmy, fueling rumors of our return to the Celestial Palace. We had no confirmation of when it would occur, however. We continued with our studies as usual, with the only difference being that we hosted guests much more frequently.

One day, the prince wrote and asked me to meet him in the study that evening after dinner. _Please don't tell anyone,_ he wrote. _I'd like to keep it between us, but don't worry_ , _Oskar will be there_.

So I made my way to the study that night and knocked softly on the closed door. Captain Keller opened it and silently let me in.

"Your Highness," I said with a curtsey.

The prince looked up from a stack of papers and smiled. "Eloise! Please, you can call me Daniel. It's just Oskar here."

"You are the Crown Prince of Rybeth. It's my duty to address you correctly- at least when I first greet you," I insisted.

He shrugged. "Fine." He sat down and gestured for me to do the same. "Oskar! Would you sit down?"

The captain looked annoyed. "Would you please use my title when we are _not_ alone?"

"It's just Eloise!"

He eyed me. "Don't get any ideas, Lady Taylor."

I suppressed a laugh. "Of course not, Captain Keller."

He visibly relaxed and sat down in a nearby chair.

Daniel fiddled with a pen in front of him, suddenly nervous.

"Why did you ask me here?"

He continued to play with the pen until Captain Keller spoke up.

" _Your Highness_."

He sighed and said, "Fine!" He dropped the pen and looked at me. "Eloise, I must confess… I think you were right. About your friend."

"Cynthia? What about her? That you should just marry her?" I asked jokingly.

His face flushed. "Not exactly, though she certainly seems qualified…" He cleared his throat and corrected himself, "I mean, what you said about how she's an incredible lady. You have a good judge of character."

"And this is why you asked me here? To tell me that I was right about Cynthia being a good person?"

He cleared his throat. "Well…"

I waited patiently for him to continue. He picked the pen back up and twirled it around between his fingers. I heard Captain Keller mumble, "I knew this was a bad idea."

Daniel suddenly tossed the pen at him. "Quiet, Oskar!" He sighed and looked back at me. "I was hoping… that is… would you be able to help me with something?"

I frowned. "It depends."

"You seem to have a good judge of character," he repeated. "I was hoping you could tell me a little about your peers."

I shifted, straightening my posture. His tone relayed to me that he clearly wanted to know my true opinions of them, not just a polite description of their redeeming qualities. "You've asked me that before, at the New Year Celebration." He nodded, still waiting for an answer. I was hesitant to answer. "I know we've been writing for weeks now, but you still barely know me. How do you know you can trust my judgement?"

He shrugged. "I can tell you surround yourself with trustworthy people. You attract people of decent character."

I gestured to Captain Keller. "What of my judgement of Captain Keller? You keep his company. He's clearly important to you, yet I am still uncertain of his character."

I heard the captain huff and Daniel laughed. "Not only is he abrasive if you don't know him well, but there are circumstances that would make it hard to truly judge his character."

"What a strange thing to say. What do you mean?"

"Your Highness," the captain warned. "Let's leave the subject alone. She clearly does not want to tell you anything."

I bristled with annoyance and looked over at him. "It's not that I don't want to share my opinions of my peers with him, Captain. In fact, it is because of your teachings that I am hesitant. You have taught us that we should not just blindly trust others. I am trying to make sure he isn't blindly putting his trust in me."

"Are you untrustworthy?"

"That's not what I mean. You know I am not suggesting that. I don't want him putting his trust in me, and then also putting his trust in someone _less_ trustworthy."

He remained silent, watching me with an unreadable expression.

"You said the same things to me earlier today," Daniel said exasperatedly. "Don't be angry that her instincts rival yours."

I grinned, surprised by the comparison. "Thank you."

The captain stood up. "It's late. I think we need to end this before anyone finds out. It's inappropriate, even if I am here."

"I hate to agree with him, but I feel the same way. I also don't want Cynthia to be concerned."

"Yes, you're both right." Daniel stood up slowly and sighed. "Thank you for coming and talking with me."

"Of course." I rose from my chair and smoothed my skirts.

"Please think about it, though? I would value your thoughts immensely."

I sighed. Something told me that it was important that I shared whatever information I could with him. "I would be happy to share my insights. I'm not sure how good my opinions are, but you're welcome to listen."

"Tomorrow night? Would you come back?"

I hesitated. "I'm not sure… Wouldn't it seem suspicious to meet again so soon?"

He ignored the question. "Please?"

"As you wish- but only if nobody questions me tonight."

"Wonderful. Tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Eloise."

"Goodnight, Your Highness."

Captain Keller stepped beside me. "Lady Taylor, please allow me to escort you back to your room."

I glanced at the clock. "I suppose that's a good idea. I wouldn't want to get in trouble for being out of my room too close to curfew."

We left the room and made our way down the hall in silence.

The captain cleared his throat as we descended the stairs."I hope you are not offended by my hesitation. His inclination to trust you without question concerns me, but it is not because of you specifically."

"I understand your concern. I know it isn't personal."

He didn't say anything at first. We stepped off the last step and he stopped me.

"You retain information incredibly well. You're better than many men I studied with as a Scholar."

I was shocked by the compliment. "Thank you, Captain."

"I want you to know that I know you are an honest person. I don't doubt his trust in you. I am just cautious."

"Yes, I understand."

He looked conflicted about something. "I would like to trust you also, but I cannot right now."

I felt my face contort in confusion. His statements almost seemed contradictory. He knew I was honest, yet he still couldn't trust me? I decided not to press the topic. "Oh. Well, I hope someday you can."

He nodded. "I hope so also."

We stood at the bottom of the stairs in silence.

"Thank you for escorting me to my floor," I finally said. "Goodnight, Captain."

"Goodnight, Lady Taylor."

The next day, all I could think about was what to tell the prince about the other ladies. I watched them closely all day, making a mental note of their characteristics.

"Eloise?"

I turned to face Cynthia, startled. I had been watching Lily and Pearl interact at lunch. I knew very little about them and had been trying to decide how I would describe them. "I'm sorry, Cynthia. What were you saying?"

"Just that I miss my family. My mother wrote and told me that my oldest brother and his wife had another baby! I loved spoiling my nieces and nephews. I miss them so dearly."

"How wonderful for them! I miss my mother too. Writing to her just hasn't been the same as seeing her in person."

"I'm so eager for their visit. It's only, what, three months away? They said at the end of one year, right?"

"Yes, that's what they said. I can't believe it's been nine months already."

"I know!" she exclaimed. "It's flown by so quickly."

"I can't hardly believe we have another year."

She nodded. "Will he wait to choose his bride until next year?" she asked. "Or will they let him choose one once he knows for sure? Will they wait to send anyone home?"

I quickly glanced over at Pearl, who was rolling her eyes at Lily. "I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine. I assume they will wait the full two years. That's what we were told to expect." I wasn't convinced by my own guess. "Although, I suppose there is a chance. Madame Trudeau said some of us may not return to the palace. Perhaps they will send a certain number of us home." I placed a hand on hers. "I don't think either of us have to worry about being sent home."

She nodded. "Thank you, Eloise. You're always so insightful."

"I don't know about that," I told her. "I just say what comes to mind, I suppose."

During our languages lesson after lunch, I continued to watch my peers. After a while, I realized that I needed to look dedicated to my studies, since Havarian was hard to learn.

The afternoon moved at a glacial speed. I was preoccupied with thoughts of my meeting with the prince, and I was more than eager to be done with lessons. Mr. Bray was not an especially thrilling instructor. He lectured more than taught, which made it even more tedious. When we were finally dismissed for the afternoon, I tried to hurry from the room, but Mr. Bray had other ideas.

"Lady Taylor?" he called as I was about to step through the doorway with Cynthia.

I turned around and took several steps back into the room. "Yes, Mr. Bray?"

"Could I have a word?"

I nodded and made my way to his desk while Cynthia waited at the door for me. "Is there a problem with my behavior?" I asked nervously.

He was shuffling papers around. "Hmm?" He looked up, confused. "Your behavior? No. No, it isn't that." He tapped his desk. "It's your progress. You seem to be struggling with Havarian. To be fair, it is a hard language, but you seem to be struggling the most. Since none of the other ladies know the language, I have been trying to locate a tutor. Unfortunately I have had very little success. However, Captain Keller has agreed to assist. He has only agreed to take on one student, and I believe you could use it most."

My stomach churned. _Captain Keller?_ "Couldn't you just help me?"

"I am taking on several others, so I won't have the time to tutor anyone else. Captain Keller is from Havaria _and_ a Scholar, therefore he is best suited to help. You will begin tomorrow afternoon after class. That is all, you're dismissed."

"Thank you, Mr. Bray," I said meekly, and made my way to Cynthia.

"I can't believe it," she whispered to me as we walked out the door. "Mr. Bray apparently doesn't know the prejudice Captain Keller has against you."

"It's fine," I told her as we walked to our room. "I'm not happy about it, but the Captain has at least been civil lately."

We took a short rest in our room before we got dressed for dinner. Normally we would have gone to the library or parlor, but neither of us felt like listening to the inevitable bickering between our peers.

We finally made our way down to dinner and were shocked to see the prince there without the rest of his family. He hadn't dined with us alone before. " _Did he tell you he would be joining us?_ " Cynthia whispered.

I shook my head. " _He didn't tell you?_ "

" _No_."

We quickly curtsied to him and found our seats beside Rita, who gave us an encouraging smile. We watched the rest of the girls file in. They were either shy in his presence or felt bold enough to flirt shamelessly in front of the rest of us.

"Ladies, forgive me for dropping in without warning," he said once we were all gathered around the table. "I thought it might be nice to join you for dinner on my own. Please, sit." He took his seat and the rest of us followed suit. "I am grateful that I have gotten to know you all better over these past couple months. In another couple weeks, your time here at our winter home will come to and end. My family has enjoyed hosting you immensely."

Many of the ladies looked disappointed to hear the news, but I was excited to return.

"I'm sure you're disappointed to hear that you won't be staying with us any longer." He scanned our faces with amusement. "We will be returning to our summer palace, however, and you must continue with your studies- without any distraction. I promise you that this next year of training holds a lot of promise. I won't give anything away, but I think you'll find it to be an enchanting experience."

For the rest of the meal, Rita, Cynthia, and I watched Paige and Charlotte try and monopolize the prince's attention. When the dessert plates were taken away, the prince dismissed us and left the room. I made an excuse to go to the library, knowing nobody ever went there after dinner, and made my way to the study to meet the prince and Captain Keller.

* * *

 **Surprise! I'm going to be gone Sunday and Monday, my usual updating days, so I thought I planned to update on Saturday.** But then I got another chapter done today. I decided to just go ahead and upload this today instead of tomorrow for you guys! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know your thoughts. I love hearing speculations and ideas. :D


	26. Chapter 26

"So, Eloise, tell me about the other Ladies of Opportunity."

I took a deep breath. "Who would you like to hear about first?"

Captain Keller answered for the prince. "Start with the ladies who went to Cliffside with you."

"I've already told you about Cynthia."

The prince smiled at her name. "Although I trust your judgement of her, I would like to know more about her. What her personality is like."

"She's a loyal friend and incredibly compassionate. She's a reasonable person who always seems to know the right thing to say. She's had to calm my nerves many times. I wouldn't have made it this far without her."

He nodded. "And Lady Southgate?"

"I don't know much about her. She has a tendency to follow the rest of the ladies."

"And Lady Holtzer?"

I smiled. "She's a sweet girl, but timid. She isn't easily swayed by the others like Lady Southgate, but doesn't really make a stand for one thing or another."

I made my way through the list of my peers. I told him how Heather was almost too motivated, but kept a cool head when Charlotte confronted her. I reminded Captain Keller of how Lola was the only one to question him during our first lesson with him at the Celestial Palace. I told them how Anna was like Lily in her readiness to be affected by the competition, but that she was a kind person otherwise. I couldn't give them a description for Pearl other than the fact that she left no impression on me, neither good nor bad.

When it came to Juliet, I wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't a remarkable person, but then I recalled how she always seemed eager to bring everyone together. She was the one who would gather us for tea in her room when we had a free afternoon. I was hesitant to speak of Charlotte and Paige since I had had no diplomatic way to describe their qualities, but Daniel insisted. I relayed how Charlotte and Paige judged Rita for her skin and heritage, how Charlotte was not concerned if she caused a scene. Then I spoke highly of Rita and her eagerness to become my friend, how she seemed to have a clear mind no matter what happened, even when Charlotte was ridiculing her.

Daniel leaned back in his chair when I was finished, thinking over everything I said. He finally looked up at me. "You've given me a lot to think about."

Something in his tone concerned me. "What do you mean?"

" _Daniel_ ," Captain Keller warned.

"What is it?" I asked, my concern growing.

"Do you think it's so bad if she knows? She'll find out next week."

The captain rolled his eyes. "I can't stop you. I think it's inappropriate."

I looked to Daniel. "You're both making me worried."

"It's almost been a year since you ladies began your training. We always knew that we would send some of you home before a year had passed. We decided to keep you here a little longer than planned so we could make a better decision."

I let his words sink in before I replied. "That's not nearly as bad as I thought. I wondered if something like this would happen. Madame Trudeau mentioned it was not guaranteed that we would all return-" I stopped abruptly, noticing something that sat on a table in the corner of the room by Captain Keller.

It had been nine months since I had seen it. The small box was unmistakable, with its golden handles and plain wooden surface. I glared at the captain and pointed at the box. "You brought _that_?" I demanded, starting to shake.

He looked at the box, then me. "What do-"

"You have no right!" I hissed, my voice catching. I knew my emotions were getting the better of me, but I couldn't help it. "What is that thing, anyway? What was that stone? How did you get me to talk like that?"

He looked startled. "How do you-" He stopped himself, then said instead, "I had no plans to use this. I simply brought it as a precaution. I told you last night that I can't trust you. It isn't personal."

"No! That's no excuse. It shouldn't have even been an option." I stood. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I thought this would be a safe place for me to speak. It appears that's not the case. Goodnight."

I stormed from the room and down the hall. I heard footsteps quickly approaching from behind. I turned, ready to see Daniel rushing to apologize for his friend. Instead, Captain Keller was there, looking surprisingly concerned.

"Lady Taylor, I-"

"Leave me alone." I turned on my heel and continued down the hall. I heard him rush to catch up, then felt his hand on my shoulder. I pulled away. " _Don't touch me_."

For the first time since I met him, he looked unsure of himself. His accent grew thick as he said, "Lady Taylor, please. I need to talk to you."

"About _what_?"

"That stone."

I glowered at him. "What about it?"

"We can't talk about it in the hallway. Please, come with me to my personal study and I will explain."

"I'm not going anywhere alone with you."

He looked frustrated and frowned. "I _cannot_ tell you anything in the hallway."

"Then you can take me back to the study and explain it in front of the prince."

He shook his head. "I can't do that either."

"Why not?!"

"It's easier to discuss this without him around, that's all. He's always eager to smooth things over, but I need to be able to speak without interruption."

I crossed my arms, feeling my head ache. "I have a headache. I would like to go to my room."

Something crossed his face that I couldn't quite read. He reached out a hand. "May I?"

"How do you _do_ that?" I asked, stepping back again.

He gave me an exasperated look. "Eloise, just come with me and I'll explain!" I stared at him in shock, and he realized his mistake. He ran a hand over his face. "Forgive me, I'm used to the prince calling you by-"

"Fine," I said.

He gave me a questioning look. "I'm sorry…?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll go with you."

He nodded. "Follow me." He turned around and headed back in the direction of the prince's study. We approached the door, where Daniel stood watching us, and Captain Keller went inside, presumably to get his box. I took the opportunity to talk to the prince.

"I apologize for my outburst," I said. "I'm not sure what got into me."

He had a strange look on his face. "Don't worry about it. I told you, the captain is abrasive sometimes. He means well. I hope you get your answers."

The captain returned with his box and I followed him down the hall. He stopped at a doorway, took out a key, and opened it to reveal a narrow, spiraling staircase. I followed him up to the next floor where the stairs opened up to a small room in the attic. I gazed around in awe. The walls were covered in bookshelves and a row of three small windows. The captain placed his box on the desk in the middle of the room, sat down, and gestured for me to sit in the other chair. I obliged and waited for him to speak.

He opened the box and held the stone. "Magic."

I waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. "Magic?" I repeated.

He nodded. "The stone. It helps me retrieve the truth from people. The stone itself isn't magic, but it can hold magical energy. Most people just think I'm being eccentric when I ask them to hold it. They usually can't tell what's happening. You're apparently the exception to the rule. I've never had anyone be able to tell what was happening."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to tell me that magic is _real?_ "

"Of course it is. You'll be learning more as a group when you return to the palace, but I might as well tell you now." He returned the stone to its box. "Yes, magic is real, but not in the way fairy tales might tell you. It's not as dramatic as all that. Magic doesn't require a wand or staff. There are no pixies with pixie dust or fairies with wings. There are no witches that fly around on broomsticks or wizards who can teleport." He leaned forward. "Magic is much more ordinary than you'd think."

I wanted to believe he was telling stories, that he was delusional, but something inside me knew it was true.

"There are different kinds of magic. It's an energy inside some people. It's actually quite common, but most people don't have concentrated enough energy for it to show up. For those who have a strong enough energy, it usually just appears as a special talent- like baking, or juggling. Someone may be an excellent healer or a natural-born leader. Those would be natural magic and personal magic, respectively. There's also sight magic, which is very rare and something true fortune tellers have. But there's also omni magic."

"Omni magic?"

"Also known as abstract magic. It means someone may possess two or more kinds of magic within them."

"You have omni magic, then." I looked at him expectantly.

"Correct," he said, visibly impressed. "What led you to that hypothesis?"

"I assume you have personal magic if you can use that thing," I said, gesturing to the stone. " And then you've healed one of my headaches before, so you clearly have natural magic."

He leaned back in his chair. "You're very observant."

"Do any of the ladies have magic?"

He smirked. "Oh, absolutely. You all do. Some have more than others, but you all possess magic to some degree."

I stared at him in shock. "Wait, we _all_ do? Even me?"

" _Especially_ you. You have the strongest magic energy I've ever felt. You could be stronger than me."

I frowned. "But I don't know what kind of magic I have."

"You seem to have personal magic. You do not mean to do it, but I have noticed that you have the tendency to draw people in. When you speak, most people listen and trust you. You also seem to be able to read other people very well, which is why the prince trusts your judgement. However, that's also exactly why I am hesitant to trust you. The prince is not often affected by magic, but because yours is so strong, I am concerned for his judgement."

"Does he have magic?"

"Yes, he has personal magic too. He's able to deflect most magics, but he still has trouble with strong magic sources."

"What about you?" I asked. "If your magic is strong too, then is he affected by your magic?"

"Good question. First, I can control my magic. Second, there are different ways in which personal magic will manifest itself. Mine is not the same as yours, so even if I couldn't control it, I would not affect others in the same way you do. I also can deflect others' magics, but I'm stronger than the prince. That is why you distrust me. I am able to deflect your magic, therefore you cannot read me- and that makes you wary of me. Many people tend to dislike me because of it."

I rubbed my head, trying to make sense of the new information while battling my headache.

"I'm sorry for that," he said, standing and coming to my side. He held out his hands and pressed his fingers against my temples. The pain melted away and he returned to his seat. "You may be getting these headaches because I keep trying to read you."

I glared at him, my anger flaring back up again. "This is because _you?!_ Do you know how often I get these?! Will you please _stop_? They're horrible."

"Of course. Again, I'm sorry. I didn't realize they affected you. Like with the stone, usually people have no idea it's happening."

"It seems like a terrible invasion of privacy! Are you trying to read my mind?"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to read your exact thoughts, even if I wanted to. I've never met someone who can do that. No, I have been trying to read your magic and general intentions. I have attempted to get past your magical barriers several times to see what you were hiding."

"I'm not hiding anything!" I yelled angrily.

"I know!" He looked overwhelmed, as if he hadn't expected me to be so upset by all of this. "I know that _now_. I didn't know that before. However, I noticed you had magical barriers- strong ones- in your mind. I have never encountered someone who has them without training. Until I met you, I assumed they were only able to be created on purpose."

I shook my head. "This is absolute insanity. I know you're telling the truth, but… I…"

"It's a lot to take in."

"That's one way of saying it."

He frowned. "Look, Eloi-"

" _Lady Taylor_." I locked eyes with him. "You have not earned the privilege of calling me by my given name."

He blushed. "Forgive me," he said with a heavy accent. "As I said, because the prince-"

"I don't care why. Don't do it."

He nodded. "You need time to process this, I can tell." He stood and gave me an apologetic smile, which angered me more. "Let me escort you back to your room. I will say I found you having a dizzy spell in the hall and you couldn't make it back to your room alone. You need an explanation for being out so late."

I frowned. I wanted to tell him no, that I wouldn't do that. I hated to agree with him, but it was a very smart solution. I could easily be well enough to continue with my daily schedule in the morning, or I could still pretend to recover from the dizzy spell.

"I suppose that is a convincing enough lie." I rose from the chair and began to descend the staircase before he could say another word.

Fortunately, we didn't run into anyone, so the only person I had to explain my absence to was Cynthia. She looked relieved when I walked in the door, rushing to my side.

"Eloise! Why are you coming back so late?"

I relayed my excuse to her as casually as I could, doing my best to mask my anger.

"Are you alright?!" she exclaimed, guiding me to a chair.

"I'm mostly tired now." She sat beside me with a furrowed brow and I felt a pang of guilt for deceiving her. I rubbed my eyes, trying to prove my point. "Honestly, Cynthia. I think I just need rest. I'm sure I'll be better in the morning. We should get some sleep."

She looked unconvinced, but allowed me to get ready for bed all the same.

When I woke up in the morning, I felt a sense of purpose. I got ready for the day, had breakfast, and went to our morning lessons with Captain Keller and Monsieur Bouchard. I had lunch, listened to Mr. Bray babble in Havarian, and then waited for my tutoring session to begin.

I sat in the library impatiently, tapping my fingers against the oak table as I looked out the window at the sea.

"Lady Taylor, good afternoon."

A shadow fell over the table and I looked up. "Captain."

He sat down across from me and folded his hands on top of his books. "Shall we get started?"

"No."

He didn't react, only blinked, at my refusal. "What would you suggest then, Lady Taylor?"

I stared at him. "I don't want to talk about the Havarian language."

"Then what would you like to discuss?"

"My visions."

* * *

 **Hey! Surprise! Another super quick update! I am almost done with this story. Don't worry, there's still a lot for you guys to read, but I'm making amazing progress on the story. Let me know what you think!** Thanks for sticking with me! I really love having you guys be so excited just like I am. It's getting better and better and there's some REALLY EXCITING STUFF coming up. :)


	27. Chapter 27

"Visions?" he repeated. He was visibly affected by the news, but I couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking.

"Yes. You said it's rare to have sight magic. I need to know more."

He stared at me for a moment longer. "We can't talk about that here." He gestured to the books on the table. "I'm supposed to be tutoring you. If you don't improve, you could be asked to leave."

I leaned back in my chair. " _Trust me, Captain, that won't happen_ ," I replied in perfect Havarian.

He raised an eyebrow and switched to his native language as well. " _I thought you were struggling_."

" _I lied. I know I won't be able to fool you, so I'm telling you the truth now."_

He frowned. _"Why did you lie?"_

" _It's hard to explain."_

" _Try."_

I took a deep breath and said, " _You know that Havarians aren't always well-received. When they asked if I could speak any other languages, I kept it a secret. It's a good thing, too. If I spoke perfect Havarian_ and _had those accusations against me… well… I'm sure you understand. Anyway, I thought of all the languages in our part of the world, this would be the least important one to learn. Nobody speaks Havarian. They aren't an important ally of ours, they aren't the closest country to us. When we did start with Havarian, he asked if anyone knew the language and none of the girls raised their hands. I didn't want to have to tutor them. It's a difficult language._ "

" _How_ did _you learn Havarian so well? You almost sound like a native._ "

I grinned mischievously. " _My maternal grandmother came from Havaria. She only spoke Havarian, so I picked up on it easily. It doesn't hurt that my mother loves Havarian poetry. I miss reading it."_

" _Where was your grandmother from?"_

" _Gutehugel."_

His face lit up, and suddenly I felt a strange shift in the air.

" _Gutehugel! I grew up not far from there!"_

I smiled at him, his joy contagious. _"She spoke fondly of the region."_

" _It is a beautiful place. Absolutely breathtaking. My family still lives there."_

I felt a pull to the Captain, similar to how I felt with the prince. I opened my mouth to ask a question when we heard a noise from across the room. We both jumped, startled, and suddenly I felt another shift and the feeling was gone.

He stared off in the direction of the noise, then cleared his throat. "As I said, we can't discuss what you want here. You can wait to learn more at the palace. You won't have to wait long."

I huffed and rolled my eyes. "Why won't you at least listen to me?" I demanded. "I'm not asking for lessons, but I need to know more! I keep having these dreams, but they aren't dreams. They're real."

He looked conflicted. He clearly wanted to hear what I had to say, but he also felt uncomfortable with me talking so freely about magic. "We _cannot_ talk about this right now." He stood up, gathered his books, and looked around the room. He switched to Havarian and said with a sigh, " _Fine. Meet me here after your evening meal."_

I looked at him with triumph. " _Thank you,_ " I replied.

" _If anyone asks, say I wasn't feeling well."_ He pulled a book from his stack. " _Take this for good measure. That way it looks like I gave you extra work._ "

I nodded, taking the book from him. " _Havarian for Children?_ " I asked, laughing at the title of the book.

"He said your skill level was rudimentary. _At best_."

I continued to laugh. "Poor Mr. Bray."

Captain Keller looked at me with an expression that almost looked like annoyance. "Yes, well, study that book," he said as clearly as he could. I looked over to see Charlotte passing by almost too casually. "It should give me an idea of your skill level. We will get started tomorrow once I feel better."

"Thank you, Captain. I'll do my best. I hope your stomach settles."

He raised an eyebrow. " _You lie with ease. It's too bad you aren't a spy._ "

I could see Charlotte still lurking behind a bookcase. "Uh… _Good night?_ " I replied, butchering the Havarian pronunciation.

He almost seemed to suppress a smile. " _Good evening,_ " he corrected me. "Good luck with the book." Books in hand, he strode off and out the door at the far end of the room.

Charlotte popped out from behind the bookcase and smiled. "He's such a _Havarian_ ," she drawled. "What was he saying, anyway?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm hopelessly lost."

She had a suspicious sparkle in her eye. "I could help you, since the captain was too ill to stay."

I had to refrain myself from bursting into laughter. Charlotte wasn't nearly good enough to help me. Instead, I tilted my head, as if considering her proposal. "That's so kind of you, Lady Charlotte! I was planning on taking this to my room, though. My head is absolutely killing me."

She seemed disappointed, then brightened. "If you'd like, I could let the duchess know you're ill. Then you could have your meal sent up to you."

"No, thank you. I just need some rest, that's all." I stood and gathered my supplies. "Good afternoon, Lady Charlotte. I will see you later this evening."

Cynthia was nowhere to be found when I returned to our room. I sighed with relief, glad to not have her around to ask questions about why I wasn't at my tutoring session. I plopped down on my bed and groaned. I opened up the Havarian book and laid it out on the bed, then promptly fell asleep.

When I awoke, Cynthia was sitting in her chair by the window, looking out at the courtyard. I smiled groggily at her. "Hello there," I said cheerfully.

She turned and smiled back. "Hello, sleepy head. You must have needed that rest. You were snoring."

I blushed. "I snore?"

"I've never heard you snore before today," she assured me with a wink, then laughed. "I'm kidding. You weren't snoring."

"Oh thank goodness." I sat up and yawned. "You seem extra cheerful today."

She shrugged. "I took a stroll in the garden. The weather today would put anyone in a good mood."

"I don't doubt it." I looked outside. The sky was bright and dotted with a handful of white, fluffy clouds. I glanced over at the clock and winced when it told me it was nearly time to go down for dinner. "I wish I had taken some time outside."

"How were your lessons?"

I shook my head. "He wasn't feeling well, so he gave me this book to study." I gestured to the open _Havarian for Children_ book in front of me. "So clearly, it's going very well."

"At least that's one less lesson," she offered.

"That is true."

Dinner was just for us ladies, thankfully. I felt too much pressure around the royal family. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to behave at the standard expected of us when the royal family was around. It was a simple meal with delicious food and I left feeling satisfied.

I told Cynthia I was returning to the library and started off in that direction.

"Eloise! Wait!" She grasped my arm to stop me. "Do you feel alright? I don't want you to be stranded again. The captain might not find you this time."

I shook my head. "I feel wonderful, actually. Dinner was absolutely delicious. I didn't eat much last night, that's why I felt dizzy. I ate plenty tonight, though, so I'll be fine."

She looked concerned. "I'll come find you if you aren't back by curfew," she said.

"No, honestly, it isn't necessary. Thank you, Cynthia."

"Eloise! Cynthia!" Juliet came up beside us with a big smile. "I managed to get a maid to bring some sweets up to my room after dinner. Why don't you join us?"

Cynthia's face brightened. "I'd love to!" she said, then shot a worried look at me. "Won't you come, too, Eloise?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you so much for the invitation, though, Juliet. I'm afraid I need to study some more. I'm completely lost. Next time, though!"

Juliet linked her arm with Cynthia's. "Let's go, then. Good evening, Eloise!" she called as they made their way to her room.

I quickly made my way to the library where the captain was waiting.

"Captain."

He jumped slightly at my voice and turned from the window. "Lady Taylor. Good evening."

"So?" I asked. "Can I talk to you now?"

He shook his head. "I told you, we can't talk here. Did anyone else come here?"

"No, most of them are with Lady Greene having treats."

"Good. Follow me."

He handed me a candle and led me to a bookshelf lined with historical accounts of Rybeth's past and volumes of the royal family history. He pushed aside several books and pulled a hidden handle that created a soft click. The shelf popped away from the wall and Captain Keller pulled it back to reveal a hidden doorway. "You cannot tell a soul about what I'm showing you," he told me, and gestured for me to enter.

I guarded the candle's flame as he pulled the bookcase closed behind us. He led me up a set of stairs like the ones we took the night before. The stairs landed us in the attic again, this time in a narrow hallway lined with doors. At the end of the hall stood a door that the captain unlocked and pushed open, revealing his study. When I turned to look at the door, I realized it had been another hidden door disguised as a bookshelf.

"Take a seat," he said, pushing the door closed. He began pulling several books from the shelves, creating a tall stack on his desk.

I sat down in the chair and waited.

"So," he said as he placed himself in his chair. "You have visions. What can you tell me about them? How do you know they're visions and not dreams?"

I took a deep breath to prepare myself. "They're vivid. Impossibly vivid."

"That doesn't prove it's a vision and not a dream. I myself often have vivid dreams that are hard to distinguish from reality when I wake up."

I glared at him for interrupting. "I saw the prince before I ever met him. I also know that he told you of my innocence in the Celestial Palace gardens, in front of a fountain."

He drew a sharp intake of air. I had piqued his interest. He leaned forward, propping his arms on the desk, and waited for me to continue.

"When I first met him in the attic at the palace, I couldn't hardly breathe. I thought I was going crazy. When Cynthia and I made our way home from Cliffside, I fell ill. I had several vivid dreams during that time, but none of them were very significant. I'm fairly certain they were visions too, but I have no way to prove that those were." I shrugged. "But I remembered him vividly from one of those dreams."

"You became ill and then had those visions?"

"Well, not the one with you in it. I had that one the night you spoke with him."

"Wait a moment before you continue." He grabbed a pen, inkwell, and paper, and began making notes of our conversation. "Was that the first time you had ever had those kinds of visions?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about your illness."

"I was asleep for days," I told him. "I fell asleep in the carriage just before we arrived back in Ravendale. When the carriage stopped at Cynthia's house, she couldn't wake me up. They took me home and I remained in bed for four days. I had a terrible fever and wasn't responding to anything the doctor tried. He thought I possibly had scarlet fever, but I had no rash. They were baffled. Then one day, I simply woke up. My fever had vanished as suddenly as it came."

"Can you tell me what happened in the days before you fell ill?"

I shrugged. "Nothing spectacular. We had our interviews then traveled home."

"Tell me what happened the day your illness occurred. As many little details as you can recall."

"Cynthia and I left Cliffside sometime in the morning." It was hard to remember everything that happened almost exactly a year ago. "The duchess packed a basket lunch for us… We ate it, talked about how Cynthia really wanted to be chosen…"

He scribbled some more notes. "Did the food taste strange to you? Was Cynthia ill?"

I shook my head. "No, it was perfectly fine." I tried hard to remember everything that happened. "I honestly don't remember much. It's been almost a year since that day. I'm sorry."

He ran a hand over his face. "No need to apologize. It's just… There are very few people with sight magic, and since you seem to have very strong magic as a whole, I hoped I could get an idea of when it starts, what might trigger a vision… Have they all been while you slept?"

"So far that's the only time they happen." I hesitated then said, "Although…"

"Yes?"

I pursed my lips, unsure how to phrase what I wanted to say. "Sometimes I just _know_ things. Does that make sense?"

"Can you elaborate? Give me examples?"

I thought about it. "When we were at Cliffside, it was announced that instead of thirty girls being accepted for the palace, only twelve would be selected. That meant only four girls from each region instead of ten. At dinner that night, the other girls were incredibly upset. They were complaining, calling each other names… I finally got tired of it and told them we needed to stay calm. I told them that maybe it was a test and that someone might be waiting outside to listen to how we handled the news. Afterwards, I found out that I was right. Because of that, I was actually accused of being a spy there, too, but for the duchess, not a foreign government."

He made more notes. "What else?"

"I knew Cynthia would make it to the palace. I knew without a doubt. It wasn't just blind trust in a friend. It was absolute certainty."

"Did you think you were going to be accepted?"

I shook my head. "No. Actually…" I paused, letting the memory return. "I remember insisting to Cynthia I wasn't going to make it. That's what we talked about in the carriage, right before I fell asleep. I assured Cynthia that I had no doubt she would be chosen, but that I wouldn't get the same letter as her."

"This was _right_ before you fell asleep?"

I nodded.

He grabbed a book and thumbed through it until he found the desired passage. He ran his finger across the text, then said, "That might be what triggered your visions. You see, sometimes people with sight magic simply have that feeling of _knowing_ things. However, if they speak against that feeling repeatedly, they can become very ill, as you did."

"So… you're saying I was sick because my magic didn't like that I wasn't true to it."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Surprisingly to the point. Yes, that's correct. However, when that happens, the person doesn't usually survive- because they never wake up."

"I almost died?" The thought felt like a kick to the chest. "How did I wake up, then?"

"Your doctor may have had natural magic and the ability to heal, but I doubt it."

I frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"You said that no matter what he did, your fever remained and you never got better. Did anyone else take care of you during that time?"

"My mother and Cynthia."

"Has your mother been very good at taking care of you when you're sick or hurt? Did you ever recover much quicker than usual from something? Does she have extra successful gardens at all?"

"No. Though my father may have had natural magic. He was always good at farming, and he was a great comfort when I was sick or in pain."

"What about Cynthia? Has she ever shown signs of natural magic?"

I shook my head. "Not that I know of, but I guess I wouldn't really know?"

He frowned. "I doubt she has it, then. I've never seen that when I read her magic."

"So… How did I survive, then?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I believe you healed yourself. You seem to possess natural magic, Lady Taylor." He looked up at me with a dazed look on his face.

"Wait." I felt a strange hum within me. "Are you telling me that I have all three kinds of magic?"

"Yes, and there's not a single record of anyone having all three. Ever."

* * *

 **Surprise again! Another quick update! So what do you think? I'm like 10 chapters ahead of this, y'all. This upcoming "academic year," so to speak, is going to be really busy for me, so I want to make sure I can keep up and provide you with the updates you deserve.**

 **I really hope you're liking it. I know my writing isn't perfect, and the plot isn't perfect, but I love that you're still here with me, reading each word. It's humbling to know that you are taking time from your day/night to read words that I put together to make into a story. I love it and I love each of your for it.**


	28. Chapter 28

Captain Keller refused to talk more about my magic until he could do more research. He had no idea what having three kinds of magic meant for me. With our impending departure, we stopped our lessons, but were given assignments to keep us busy.

The week before we were set to leave was just as hectic as it had been at the Celestial Palace. We had to pack and be briefed _yet again_ on safety concerns while traveling. I was extra on edge since I knew that not all of us would be returning to the palace.

Two days before our departure, we were summoned to the ballroom. The duchess stood alone in the middle of the room holding an envelope and waiting patiently for us to gather around her.

"Ladies. Your trunks are packed. Your lessons here are finished. You're smarter and more skilled than you were when you first arrived. Your progress is astounding and I am amazed at all that you can do. I know that many of you will go on to do amazing things with your lives. I can't wait to see where you all end up." She shook her head. "Unfortunately, some of you will not be going to the palace with your peers."

A few worried murmurs rose up around me. I kept my eyes on the duchess. She caught my unwavering gaze and smiled. "Only seven of you will be returning to the Celestial Palace in two days. The other five will be sent home to their families for a short stay. Afterwards, you will be welcomed into society at one of our estates if you wish. You are noblewomen, after all. You'll be briefed further after I am done here."

The ladies around me remained as calm as they could be. I still heard a few whispers, but for the most part, the room was silent.

She held up the envelope in her hand. "This letter here has the names of the ladies who will be returning to the palace. I have not looked at it yet. It was a decision made between Madame Trudeau, your instructors, Her Majesty the Queen, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Once I read your names, I would like you to take a step behind me. If you do not hear your name, you will be going home tomorrow before the rest of your peers." She opened the letter and began to read aloud, "'The following ladies have shown exemplary skills in their time as Ladies of Opportunity.'"

I held my breath as she said the first name.

"Lady Masterson."

Rita stepped away from the crowd and took her place behind the duchess, beaming.

"Lady Greene."

Juliet stepped forward.

"Lady Madden."

As Pearl stepped behind the duchess, she smirked at the rest of us.

"Lady Culver."

Lola grinned and looked as though she wanted to skip over to the other ladies. Instead, she remained perfect posture and peacefully waited.

"Lady Bell."

I heard Paige make an annoyed sound as Heather made her way over.

"Lady Taylor."

I almost didn't hear her. I was in shock. It took me a moment before I could move my feet. I swallowed nervously and moved to stand next to Rita.

There was only one name left. I looked across at Cynthia, who was containing her worry flawlessly. She smiled sweetly at me, as if she was waiting to hear what we were having for dessert that night.

"Lady Warner."

I failed to mask my relief. I beamed at my friend as she made her way over. Once she had taken her place beside me, the duchess cleared her throat. "I extend my consolations to the five of you who remain. You're all very talented young women and I hope for the best in all your future endeavors. Please remain here for your briefing." She turned around to face the rest of us. "Congratulations, ladies, you may return to your rooms or the library. You have the remainder of the afternoon off until dinner is served."

We bade her farewell politely and left the room. Cynthia looked radiant and poised, more than I had ever seen her before. When we were in our room with the door shut, I questioned her.

"You knew, didn't you?"

She looked startled. "Knew?"

"You knew about the eliminations." I wasn't accusatory in my tone.

She hesitated, then let her face fall."I'm sorry I didn't tell you!"

I shook my head. "No! Don't be sorry. I knew also. But you were so calm the whole time. Did you know that you weren't being sent home?"

She blushed. "Yes. Didn't he tell you?"

I shook my head. "No, not definitively."

"I see." She brightened once again. "But now you know! We won't be separated!" She wrapped me in a tight embrace.

I squeezed her back and we separated. "You're really growing close to him, aren't you?" I asked.

"Oh, Eloise. You have _no_ idea. I keep telling myself it's too soon to know if I-" She stopped herself, suddenly blushing.

"Too soon to know what? If you… love him?" I asked.

"Oh, let's not talk about this right now! I don't want to compete with you!"

I laughed. "Didn't I already tell you that we aren't competing?"

Her face was flushed bright red. "You _say_ that, but-"

"No. I don't love him, Cynthia."

She began to pace the room. "You don't have to love a person to marry them! My parents don't love each other, but they're married! What if you're more talented, more qualified to be his wife? Wouldn't he choose what was best for the kingdom?"

"Yes, I'm sure he would choose what's best for the kingdom, but I wouldn't marry him if I didn't love him."

She frowned. "You wouldn't do it for your country?"

"Our country needs a queen who is happy in her role- and loves her king in return. I wouldn't be happy as queen if it meant spending my life with a man I did not love."

I could tell by her face that she was quickly spiraling into her anxieties over the situation. I grabbed her hand and made her look at my face.

"Cynthia. I could never become queen knowing you love the prince."

"But what if you _do_ fall in love with him?"

I shrugged. "My statement still stands. Even so, if I ever do fall in love with him, I don't think I could ever love him as much as you do."

Her cheeks went from red to pink, and she seemed to calm down. She took a deep breath and squeezed my hand.

"Thank you. You're a good friend."

We laid out on our beds and sighed.

"So what does he write to you about?" Cynthia asked casually.

I laughed. "Just basic conversational stuff. He apologizes for Captain Keller a lot."

She nodded. I considered asking her what he writes to her about, but I could tell she wasn't ready to share.

The door swung open. Rita and Juliet strolled in and sat down.

I raised an eyebrow at them in amusement. "Did you hear that, Cynthia? I think someone is at the door. Why, yes, Rita and Juliet, please come in!"

Rita scoffed at me playfully in return. "Like you ever had a choice. Paige and Charlotte just got back from the ballroom. We decided to make ourselves scarce and avoid their wrath while we can."

Juliet let out a frustrated groan. "I was in Rita's room when they came back. Charlotte came in, saw me, and said to her, 'Rubbing it in my face, Masterson? How _regal_ of you.'"

"I swear she tried to spit at me as we left."

"We won't have much longer with them," Cynthia said soothingly. "Then we'll only have to worry about Heather."

I propped myself up and looked at them. "Do you know much about Pearl? Any idea what she's like?"

They all shook their heads.

"She's always kept to herself," offered Juliet.

"It makes me nervous not knowing our peers very well," I confessed. "I don't know anything about Pearl."

Rita nodded. "I wish we could ask Anna, but I doubt she's in much of a mood to talk."

"I'm glad we have each other, at least," Cynthia offered. "It should make the next year more bearable, knowing we have each other, right?"

Juliet groaned. "I don't even want to think about how stressful it's going to be."

"We'll get through it. We've made it this far."

"Listen to Cynthia," I said. "She's the perfect person to talk to when you're stressed or worried."

Lola joined us shortly after, with news of how Heather was strutting about their room like she was already queen. I looked around the room with a smile. It felt good knowing my friends would still support each other as the rest of the year went on.

Two days later, we made our journey back to the palace. Once again, we took three separate carriages on our way north. I was assigned a coach with Rita and Pearl. Cynthia and Lola were in another, with Heather and Juliet in the last. I was eager to get to know Pearl a little better. She was chatty enough, but never really seemed to truly speak her mind. She was impossibly neutral on everything we discussed. It didn't matter if it was sunny or storming, the weather made no difference to her. When I asked her about her hometown, she had very little to say. It started to bother me that I couldn't get a good idea of what kind of person she was. I made a mental note to ask Captain Keller if she had magical barriers also.

When we arrived back at the Celestial Palace, we were given our own individual suites instead of shared ones like before. They were spread out across the wing and none of our rooms were next door to another girl. At first, I expected it to feel incredibly lonely, but instead I was surprised by how much I liked my personal suite.

I was taken to my room by a maid. Once I assured her I didn't need anything else, I was able to study my surroundings. My sitting room was filled with bookshelves stacked with poetry books- some of it even in Havarian, to my surprise- while the remaining wall space was filled with landscapes of farms and hillsides that reminded me of the scenery surrounding Ravendale. The windows that overlooked one of the gardens let in bright, energizing light. Once I had taken in everything in the sitting room, I moved to the bedroom. Its walls were also covered in landscape paintings and bookshelves. My bed was topped with a beautiful quilt, much to my surprise. While it was much more intricate and exquisite than the quilt packed in my trunk, it was still a quilt. Up until now, the beds I had slept in were adorned with much more expensive, silky coverings.

I moved between the two rooms in awe. I felt more at home than I had in the past year. I grinned to myself and leaped onto the bed. I sighed happily. "I'm so glad I stayed," I confessed to the ceiling.

I closed my eyes, hoping to take a brief rest, but instead I heard someone knocking on my door. I quickly got up, straightened my skirts, and smoothed my hair. I opened the door, expecting a maid or Cynthia, but instead was very startled to see Captain Keller looking very disheveled.

"Captain? Is something wrong?"

He didn't answer, only said in his thick accent, "Come with me."

I followed him briskly down the hall, struggling to keep up. We went up a floor and into the secret passages Anna had shown me. We went all the way across the palace to the other wing.

"Captain, where are we going? I'm not supposed to be over here. Especially not alone like this."

He didn't answer, only pressed on further. He stopped in front of a door and pulled a key from his pocket. The door opened with a soft click and he pushed it open.

We stepped into a large room similar to his study at the royal family's winter castle. Dark, richly stained bookshelves covered nearly every square inch of wallspace. I gazed around the room in wonder. A telescope sat in front of one window, a set of boxes with strange markings were stacked in a corner. Several writing desks sat in the middle of the room, each with an inkwell and candle, fully equipped for dedicated pupils.

"This is the Celestial library," the captain said. He held out the key to me, interrupting my admiration of the room. "Take this key. I want you to come here and learn what you can on your own until I return to start training you all."

I took the key and looked at him in confusion. "When you return? From where?"

His gray eyes sparked with an intensity I hadn't seen before. "You cannot speak a word of this to anyone. Not even Lady Warner, do you understand?"

I nodded solemnly. "I promise."

"There's been an attack on the southeastern border. You're safe here, but the king has asked me to help the troops fight back. It seems they're in need of magical assistance."

I felt my breath catch. "An _attack_? Who attacked us?"

"Lowendry, it seems."

"Why are they attacking?"

He shook his head. "We aren't sure yet. That's something the king has asked me to assist with also."

I looked around the room again. "Where should I start?" I gestured to the shelves around us.

"Anywhere. Considering the fact that you seem to possess all three kinds of magic, it won't really matter where you begin. But keep all of these materials here. Do not take them out of this room, under any circumstance. They _must_ remain within these four walls." He frowned. "Please keep all of this- the attack, the room, magic- a secret. Do not breathe a word of this to anyone."

"I promised I wouldn't."

He tapped his foot absent-mindedly and looked around the room. "I know. I'm sorry."

I was surprised by his apology. "You're anxious. How serious is this?"

His gaze snapped back at me. "Incredibly."

"How many deaths?"

He looked surprised. "I can't give any details."

"I understand."

We stood in silence for a moment before he finally said, "I wish I could help you get acquainted with the library, but unfortunately I have to leave very soon. Let me walk you back so you know how to return here."

On our way back, he walked much slower this time, pointing out ways to remember how to get back to the library. Since it was during the day, we passed by dozens of palace staff, but none seemed to notice or care that we were in their space.

When we finally made it back to my floor, I expected the Captain to part ways with me at the stairs. Instead, he walked me back to my door.

"You may write to me at the Red Oaks estate in Glenshire if you have any questions. Don't include too much sensitive information- we can't be too careful. Letters get intercepted far too easily, especially at a time like this."

I nodded and held up the key. "Thank you for this, Captain."

He didn't reply right away, then said in Havarian, " _The shepherd cannot trust a sheep, but he can trust a fellow shepherd._ " He bowed his head and said, "Have a lovely afternoon, Lady Taylor."

"Goodbye, Captain."

* * *

 **I have a surprise for y'all... DOUBLE UPDATE! Enjoy this chapter and the next!**


	29. Chapter 29

Now that only seven of us remained, life became hectic at the Celestial Palace. Our mornings were suddenly occupied with more reviews on geography, history, and etiquette. Captain Keller's absence wasn't questioned by anyone. It felt more like a natural change in our lessons rather than a sudden switch in routine. Monsieur Bouchard was also no longer with us. He had finished all the mathematics lessons that we needed, which left us with lessons from Mrs. Stafford. She taught us how to properly host parties, balls, and run a household. Lunch became a part of our lessons, too. After our languages lesson, we only had enough time to change our clothes before we were expected for dinner. By the end of dinner, we were all so exhausted that we all went straight to bed afterwards.

A month after our arrival, our families were due for a visit, which made all of us breathe a sigh of relief. They would be visiting for a week, and during that week, no lessons were scheduled. Of course, Madame Trudeau took it as an opportunity to test us on our hosting capabilities. She had each of us host one dinner for each night. We were in charge of everything- from the flowers to the type of china.

The week before our families' arrivals, we still had lessons on top of planning our respective meals. I found time after dinner one night to run down and speak to the cook. I sat down with her while she ate her own dinner, not wanting to interrupt her routine of the day.

"I apologize for bothering you during your meal, Mrs. Daly."

She smiled. "Thank you for not minding me eating. Most of the other girls made me wait before I could eat. It was _hours_."

"Look, I trust your judgement when it comes to choosing a meal. I don't want to put any extra stress on you than necessary. What would you recommend compared to what the other girls have chosen?"

She gave me her recommendations on how many courses, what type of dishes, and what kind of dessert might go over well to end the meal. We finalized the menu with ease, and she looked pleased with our interaction. She then recommended me to speak with Madame Trudeau on what types of wine might best suit the meal.

The next day, right after lunch, I caught Madame Trudeau before I went to my lessons.

"Madame Trudeau, I was hoping I could get a moment of your time."

She dismissed the maid she was speaking to and turned to look at me with surprise. "Lady Taylor, how might I help you?"

"Forgive me for interrupting, but the cook said you might be a good resource in choosing the best wines for dinner."

Her face remained passive, but her voice sounded a little brighter than usual. "I suppose I could assist you. Tell me about your dish choices."

I gave her as much detail as I could, explaining my reasoning behind each course and choice. In turn, she gave her recommendations, and then sent me off with permission to find the head housekeeper and butler to help me choose the flowers, china, and silverware. They were pleased to help me also, and by the middle of the afternoon, my meal was completely planned out without any issues.

I quickly made my way to the study where the rest of my peers were learning a new language with Mr. Bray. The girls looked at me with surprise as I entered late. I ignored the looks and handed Mr. Bray the note from Madame Trudeau.

"I apologize for interrupting class, Mr. Bray. I assure you, it was not my intent to be disrespectful to you or my peers."

"You are forgiven, Lady Taylor. Please take your seat."

After the lesson was over, Cynthia caught me as we walked down to our rooms to get changed. "Where were you all afternoon?" she asked quietly, so nobody around could hear.

"I was planning my meal," I replied. "Madame Trudeau excused me from lessons for as long as I needed so I could meet with the housekeeper and butler."

"Really? She allowed that?"

I nodded. "I'm as shocked as you. I asked her for her wine recommendations and-"

She looked surprised."Why did you ask her for wine recommendations?"

"The cook suggested I do so. She seems to be very knowledgeable about wines."

"I see. Maybe I should ask her for recommendations, also."

"She's very helpful," I offered.

"That's good." She yawned. "I'm so _tired_."

"Me too. I am looking forward to having our families here. I need some time to relax."

She stopped in front of her door. "Oh goodness, _yes_. Although I'm not sure how I feel about my mother lecturing me all week."

"We should do tea with our mothers," I said.

"Yes, let's do that. I'm looking forward to seeing your mother again!"

I made my way back to my own room to change into something appropriate for dinner. Before I went to my wardrobe, I stopped to take a breath. I looked around the room in exhaustion. I stared at the bookshelf that hid my key to the library. I hadn't had the time or energy to return. I was starting to worry I would forget how to get there. I hoped that I would get a chance while my mother was visiting.

The day our families arrived was bright and sunny. I waited anxiously as I watched everyone greet their parents. Some had siblings come along too. We waited in the common area parlor to be summoned. It was late in the afternoon when Madame Trudeau came to fetch me. I was the only one left waiting for their family. I jumped up excitedly and followed her downstairs and to the courtyard, where I watched my mother's carriage come into view. It rolled to a stop and a footman stepped forward to let her out.

She stepped out with a broad smile creasing her beautiful features. "Mother!" I cried, stepping forward and enveloping her in a tight embrace. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, my dear. I'm overjoyed to spend the week with you."

I led her to Madame Trudeau. "Mother, this is Madame Trudeau, the Royal Opportunity Coordinator. Madame Trudeau, this is my mother, Mrs. Anne Taylor."

"A pleasure to meet you, Madame Trudeau," my mother said, giving her a polite bow of her head.

Madame Trudeau bowed her head in return. "Lady Taylor will help you get settled in to your room, where you can get cleaned up from your journey. You are both welcome to do as you wish until dinner."

I took my mother to her room in one of the double suites. "You have the entire suite to yourself. They gave all families one of these suites to share."

"It's such a beautifully furnished room," she said, looking around in amazement.

"Can you believe it?" I asked. "I can't wait to show you my rooms. They're incredible."

"I look forward to it!"

I sat down in a chair while she cleaned up and changed. When she returned from her bedroom, I was surprised to see her in a very fashionable blue-gray dress.

"That's a stunning dress," I commented.

She blushed. "Oh, Mr. Towne insisted I needed something fashionable for visiting the palace. It's too much, isn't it?"

"Not at all! It's gorgeous!"

"I'm glad you think so. It feels so strange."

I laughed. "That's exactly how I felt when I started dressing so nicely. It's bizarre." She sat down and sighed. I looked over at her. "You don't write much about Mr. Towne. How is he?"

"He's well, thank you."

"Has he asked for your hand?"

She gasped. "Eloise!"

I shrugged. "What? It's been nearly exactly one year since you first talked about it. I would have expected something by now, but you never mention him."

"I told him I wanted to wait until you came home."

"Oh, don't be silly. That's ages from now! You deserve happiness. I know I won't be there to see it, but I'd love to see you settled with him."

She didn't answer immediately. "Thank you, Eloise. You're an incredible daughter." Then she stood up and held out a hand. "Why don't you show me your rooms?"

I was about to agree when the dinner bell rang. I looked at the clock, startled. It was much later than I thought. "I guess that will have to wait," I told her.

We joined everyone in the dining hall, where Juliet was hosting the first meal. She greeted everyone cheerfully and once we were all gathered around the table, she had everyone introduce their families. She introduced her mother and stepfather first, then moved around the table. Cynthia's mother and father were in attendance, along with her brother Walter. Rita, her father, and her much younger brother were seated between Cynthia and I. Pearl's mother and father were with her. Lola's aunt, uncle, and younger sister were her guests. Heather's mother and aunt looked uncomfortable in their fine attire, but her mother did her best to mask it behind a wide smile.

The dinner was lovely; Juliet was an excellent host and had impeccable taste in food. She chose very neutral foods- nothing too fancy or plain. It was a simple table service with only as many utensils as necessary. When dinner was done, my mother chose to go to sleep right away, which left me free for the rest of the night.

When I returned to my room, I thought briefly of the key to the secret library, but felt too tired to try and find my way there. Instead, I went to sleep to get plenty of rest for the next day.

After breakfast, I showed my mother around our wing of the castle. I showed her the study and told her everything we were learning. I showed her the library and the corner I liked to sit in when I needed to study on my own. We shared a small lunch with Cynthia and her family, then took a walk in the gardens for the afternoon. After our walk, I took her back to show her my rooms.

"See? Look how perfect they chose the decor!"

She looked around in awe. "This is absolutely perfect for you, my dear." She walked around and looked at the books on the shelves. "They even have Havarian poetry!"

"Oh, that reminds me… Nobody here knows I'm fluent in Havarian. Please don't tell."

She nodded in understanding. "Of course, dear. I won't tell a soul." She pulled a book from the shelf and said, "I love this book."

"Which book is that?"

She held it out to me. "A collection of poems by a somewhat lesser-known Havarian poet. A friend of your grandmother's, actually, before your grandpa showed up and took her away." She chuckled.

"Really?" I looked down at the book. "A. Keller."

"Anya Keller. I'm actually named after her, but your grandmother wanted to use Anne instead of Anya."

"That's funny," I said absent-mindedly. "There's a captain in the Royal Guard whose last name is Keller. He's originally from the same region as grandmother."

"Probably related, then," she commented thoughtfully. "It's a common enough name throughout Havaria, but there aren't many other Keller families in that particular region."

"Ugh."

She looked at me with curiosity. "What was that sound for?"

"He's one of our instructors. He's a bit…" I struggled to find an appropriate word. I finally sighed and said, "The best way to describe him is abrasive."

She laughed. "According to your grandmother, that's how the Keller family was until you got to know them."

I groaned. "I keep hearing that, but it doesn't seem to get any better."

"Who else told you that?"

"The prince."

She sat down in a chair and leaned towards me. "Ooh, the prince?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes. The prince. I suppose I haven't told you much about him."

"No, and I would like to know more!"

I sat down beside her and said, "What would you like to know?"

"Anything you'll tell me! What is he like? What sort of interactions have you had with him?"

"He's just a man. He's kind, funny. I think we've become very good friends, actually. We write to each other pretty frequently. We danced together once. He's an excellent dancer, unsurprisingly."

"What does he look like?"

"He has dark, curly hair- it's a bit unruly, if I dare say. He's somewhat tall in stature. He's a fairly handsome man."

She grinned at me. "Is that so?"

"Oh, no. I'm not in love with the man, Mother."

"You said he's handsome!"

"Because I have _eyes_ , not because I have eyes _for_ him."

She sighed. "Alright, but a mother can dream! He sounds absolutely wonderful."

"He's a good friend."

"And that's all?"

" _That's all."_

Luckily she didn't press the topic and we sat and chatted. She filled me in on what was going on in Ravendale and I told her more about what was happening at the palace.

The rest of the week went smoothly, except for the fact that I never did end up making it to the Celestial Library. We kept busy with entertaining our families, so I always ended the day absolutely exhausted. The meal I hosted went smoothly, and I seemed to impress almost everyone there. Even Cynthia's mother complimented me on my choices. Afterwards, I wrote a note to Madame Trudeau for her help in making my meal a success.

The week ended too quickly, and I shed a couple tears when my mother left in her carriage to return to Ravendale and Mr. Towne.

After I watched her carriage disappear over the small hill, I retreated to my room to rest for the remainder of the afternoon. When I arrived, I found two letters on my desk. I recognized Prince Daniel's handwriting on one, but I wasn't sure who sent the second letter.

I opened Daniel's letter and smiled. He asked about how the visit was going and how my meal had went. He casually mentioned Cynthia, as he always did in some way, and how she spoke highly of my mother.

The other letter was a brief note from the captain.

 _Lady Taylor-_

 _I have not heard from you yet in regards to to your lessons. Please respond back and let me know how your progress is going. Not sure of when I will return, situation is more complicated than anticipated._

 _Captain Keller_

* * *

 **I thought everyone might like two chapters instead of the one. Hope y'all have a great week!**


	30. Chapter 30

_Captain-_

 _I have not yet written because I have had no update for you. Madame Trudeau keeps us busy, so I have yet to get started on the task you've given me. Our families just left today, so I hope to find time after dinner this evening._

 _I'm sorry to hear the situation is more complex than you expected. I hope a solution can be found quickly._

 _Lady Eloise Taylor_

After our families left, we returned to lessons, but at a much easier pace. I finally made time to go to the Celestial Library and found, unsurprisingly, that magic was a fascinating subject. I managed to visit several times a week, but I still felt like it wasn't enough time. I read as many books as I possibly could in an attempt to learn what I could before our schedules returned to their hectic pace. I learned that natural magic could cure almost any ailment and bring people back from the brink of death (although death _was_ permanent). People with other types of natural magic could also manipulate basic elements, like fire, water, air, and soil.

A month after our families had left, I returned to the library after dinner once again.

I stared at the illustrations in the book on natural magic, then decided to try it for myself. I held out my hand, palm facing out, and aimed my energy at the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. I read the passage again, out loud. "Natural magic can be used to manipulate the air around an object and cause that object to move without physical touch or effort." I took a deep breath and focused on a book with a blue spine. I imagined the air behind it moving towards me. I tried pushing energy into the air, but nothing happened.

I dropped my hand and groaned. "Maybe he was wrong," I mumbled. "Maybe I don't have natural magic." I pushed the book on natural magic aside and picked up one on sight magic. "I _know_ I have this."

I scanned its contents to see if I could find a way to force visions to happen. I thumbed through the pages but found nothing. I grabbed several more books, but still failed at finding the information I wanted.

I was curious about what was happening at the border with Lowendry and wanted a vision to show me. I wanted to see my mother's marriage to Mr. Towne, even if I couldn't be there in person. I grabbed several more books off the shelf with a yawn. "Come _on_ ," I mumbled, hoping I could just _wish_ for the information to show itself.

Another hour went by and I finally admitted defeat. I put the books back and found my way back to my rooms without any issue. I changed into my nightgown and collapsed onto my bed and immediately fell into a deep slumber.

When I awoke the next morning, I was disappointed to find that I had not a single vision during the night. I got dressed and ate the breakfast waiting for me in my sitting room. To my delight, a note on my tray told me we had the day free of lessons or reviews. I sat back in my chair and considered my options for the day. I decided to find Cynthia and ask her what she planned to do.

"Eloise!" Cynthia cried as she swung her door open. "I was just about to come see you!"

"We have a day off! Can you believe it?"

"I know! I don't know what to do with myself. I think I've already decided to take a nap after lunch, but I couldn't decide how to spend the morning. Please tell me you have an idea."

I shook my head. "I bet Juliet does, though."

Juliet suggested we try and see if we would be allowed to go riding on the palace horses. Rita claimed she didn't trust horses to carry her unless it was in a carriage and suggested we try and talk the kitchen staff into packing a picnic for us to eat in the gardens.

"Rita, you're a genius!" Juliet decreed.

She giggled. "Why, thank you!"

We invited the rest of the girls to join us as well. Lola, Heather, and Pearl were excited about the idea. Juliet and Rita searched for some picnic appropriate blankets, Lola and Pearl dragged Heather to find Madame Trudeau, and Cynthia and I went to the kitchens to ask the cook for her help.

"A picnic? Why not? Less dishes for the girls to wash up and we can focus better on dinner tonight. I'll pack something and send one of the girls up with it shortly. Run along, now."

Cynthia and I emerged out of the kitchens to find Heather, Lola, and Pearl talking animatedly with Madame Trudeau.

"Ladies can't eat on the _ground_ ," I heard our coordinator exclaim. "But it's a lovely idea. I'll have the footmen set up a spot in the west gardens for you. We have tables and chairs appropriate for a garden luncheon, after all."

"Thank you, Madame Trudeau!"

Heather turned around and saw us approach. "Did you speak with the cook?"

"She's packing something right now."

Madame Trudeau stepped closer. "Is that so? I'll have her send it out to the west gardens, by the pond. Go have fun. You ladies deserve an enjoyable day. I will ring a bell when it's all ready for you."

"Madame Trudeau, would you be our guest of honor?" Cynthia inquired.

She was speechless for a moment. Smiling, she replied. "I would be delighted. Thank you, Lady Warner."

"Our pleasure!" Heather said, clearly eager to gain favor with our coordinator. "Thank you, Madame Trudeau!"

We rushed off to find Juliet and Rita.

"What did you do that for?" Heather hissed at Cynthia. "Trying to make yourself look good, huh?"

"I just thought since she's been so helpful, it would only be appropriate. Imagine if you had to do all this work without getting a day to relax yourself. I have to ulterior motive here. The prince makes the final decision, not her."

Heather just scoffed and we continued on our way back to our wing of the palace.

We found them in the shared parlor, stacking blankets in a basket.

"Change of plans, girls," Lola declared, dropping into a chair. "We're having a garden luncheon by the west pond!"

Juliet grinned excitedly. "Oh, even better! How did you manage that?"

"Madame Trudeau insisted."

" _Really?"_

"Yes, and _someone_ had to invite her along, too." Heather shot a look at Cynthia.

"I thought it was only fair!"

Rita shrugged. "I can understand why."

"Thank you, Rita."

I clapped my hands together. "Let's get going, shall we?"

"Eloise is right! Let's get out of here. We won't get a chance again until… well, who knows when!" Lola jumped up from her chair and dashed out of the room ahead of us.

We strolled along in the gardens, giddy with the freedom we felt. It felt extraordinary to be removed from the stresses of the palace and our lessons. It didn't take long for everyone's prim exteriors to melt away. We danced among the flowers and skipped along, singing and telling jokes. We ran beyond the pruned hedges and pristine flower beds, past the reaches of the gravel paths, to the tall grasses and wildflowers in the meadows at the far reaches of the gardens.

"I feel like a child again!" Juliet exclaimed breathlessly, letting her fingertips graze the swaying grasses. Her red hair blew free around her face in the breeze.

Heather, with rosy cheeks and a broad smile on her face, laughed. "I haven't felt so carefree in my life!"

I grasped Rita's hands and we spun in a circle. "I'm so glad you suggested this, Juliet!" I cried out as Rita and I released our hands and fell back into the grass.

Cynthia and Pearl stopped to pick wildflowers, gathering them in an empty basket we had brought along with us. "These are so beautiful," Cynthia said with a sigh.

I sat up and looked around. "Today is a perfect day."

Lola dropped down beside me, tossed her hat aside, and turned her face to the sun. "You can say that again."

We all sat peacefully in the meadow until the sun rose high enough to tell us it was probably time for our luncheon. We helped brush the grass and dirt from each other's skirts, and leisurely made our way to the pond in the west garden.

Laughing, we approached the white tent that had been set up for us. I was telling Juliet about my old students when everyone stopped short, suddenly silent.

The tent had been set up, but nothing else had been done for our luncheon. Madame Trudeau simply stood there waiting patiently for us.

"Ladies." She didn't chastise us for being late or looking as disheveled as we did. She simply looked at us with a very solemn gaze. "I'm afraid I have some terrible news."

Cynthia found my hand and squeezed it.

"Rybeth is under attack."

Gasps and panicked cries rose up around me.

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "A month ago, the king of Lowendry sent soldiers to attack our southeastern border. We have fought hard to get them out, but they keep pushing us back. They have overtaken a village by the border and are plotting further advances against us."

I briefly thought of Captain Keller, who hadn't written back to me yet, and wondered where he was.

"Madame Trudeau, what can we do?" Rita stood tall, angry and convicted.

"Do?"

"Surely there's something we can do," Heather agreed. "We could prepare bandages."

"We could raise funds!"

Suddenly, the fear that I felt around me transformed into a fierce resolve.

"We can write letters to the soldiers! Encourage them!"

"What about any refugees?" Lola asked. "We should start building shelters for them!"

Ideas rose up around me and I felt a warm sense of pride in the women I called my peers and friends. "What about hospitals?" I asked. "Surely we could get some nobles close to the border to open their doors to the injured."

"Ladies! Please!" Madame Trudeau held up a hand, silencing us. "I cannot tell you how proud I feel that you are so eager to get involved with the war efforts. For now, you'll continue your studies as usual. You will have plenty of time to put yourselves to work. Captain Keller has written to tell me that he will be returning soon to train you how to handle times of war."

 _War._ When the captain had told me a month ago about the initial attack, I didn't think it meant war. I thought it would be resolved and that Lowendry would be pushed back across the border with ease.

We were given lunch inside and told that it was no longer safe to spend time outside. After we ate, the girls all ignored Madame Trudeau and her assurance that they only had to worry about studying. Heather, Lola, and Rita went to find a way to make bandages for the afternoon. Cynthia and Juliet started writing letters for soldiers. Pearl went to her room without a word, and I decided to return to the library.

I returned to the natural magic books that I had left out on the desk. I grabbed one on healing and read the contents eagerly. I spent the first couple hours absorbing the words about how to heal cuts, bones, headaches, and even poisonings. Unlike the night before, I had no way to test my new knowledge.

Finally, I grew bored and picked out a few more sight magic books. I skimmed through them absent mindedly, thinking of the war. I thought about how it would affect us, the royal family, the villages by the border. I wondered how Lowendry might be using magic in the war, how we might use magic against them.

I reached out to a book slightly out of my reach, while still looking at the open book sitting before me. Suddenly, the book I wanted was in my hand. Startled, I yelped and looked up, only to find the room empty still. I stared at the book in my hand and slowly placed it down.

"Did I just…?"

I reached out again, this time for a book slightly farther away. I imagined picking it up, and suddenly it rose and made its way to my hand. I grinned excitedly. "YES!" I cried out. I jumped up, and aimed for the book with the blue spine again. This time, it came to me with ease. I laughed and danced around. "I wonder…" I put the blue book down and picked up another. I held it out on my palm and imagined putting it back on a shelf. To my delight, it floated back to a spot on the shelf and slid in softly.

"Impressive."

I screamed, and spun to see Captain Keller leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed. He looked worn out from his journey, but smiled at me.

"I'm so sorry, you scared me," I said breathlessly.

"Don't apologize. You're doing incredible, Lady Taylor. How long have you been working on that?"

I wrung my hands and flushed with embarrassment. "You saw all of my work on it just now," I replied.

He gazed at me for a moment, his expression passive and unreadable. "You learned that just now?"

"Well, I tried for the first time last night. But yes, this is the first time I've successfully done that."

He looked around the room at the stacks of books strewn about. "You're really diving in, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry, I know it's a mess. I know where it all goes, though. I will get everything back in order, I promise."

"No, don't worry about it."

I waited for him to say something else. He just looked around the room, deep in thought.

"Are you related to a Havarian poet?"

He looked at me in confusion. "Why do you ask?" He sounded almost defensive.

"There's a Havarian poetry book in my room. My mother said my grandmother was friends with the author. Since you're from the same region, I thought it was maybe a relation."

"Did you read it?"

I shook my head. "No, I've been busy."

He nodded. "I assume you're referring to Anya Keller. She was my grandmother."

"Truly? What a small world."

"I suppose it is."

We were silent for a moment longer.

"I should leave you alone," I said, placing the book I was reading off to the side and steppig away from the desk.

"Do you have any questions?" he asked, still leaning in the doorway.

I hesitated. "Actually, I do…"

"Go ahead."

"Is there a way to force my visions to happen? To see specific things?"

He nodded at the desk. "That blue book there. That's actually just the book you need."

"Really?" I asked excitedly, picking it up. I started to open it, then set it back down. "I should really go. I don't want to be in your way."

"Don't be ridiculous. I came here to see if you were up here." He walked in and shut the door. "What else have you been learning on your own?"

I gestured around me. "I've just been reading all that I can. I haven't really tried to execute any of the things I've learned. I was reading up on healing just a little bit ago." I pointed to a stack of books. "But I'm not hurt, so I have no way of practicing any of it."

He walked over and stood beside me. "Here." He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a bandage. He unwrapped it and held his forearm out for me to see a partially healed wound. "A bullet nicked me. I didn't bother trying to heal it because it would have seemed suspicious on the battlefield. Nobody here knows about it, so go ahead."

I stared at it. "You were on the battlefield?" I asked. I had assumed he had gone to consult strategies or something like that. I had a hard time picturing him actively fighting against an enemy, outside of a classroom.

"Yes."

I felt ashamed of my assumption of him. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

He shook his head. "Are you going to try using healing magic or not?"

I held out my hand over his arm. I imagined the warmth I felt when he had cured my headaches. I thought of the passages I read in the books. I pressed my palm over the wound firmly, causing the captain to wince slightly. I ignored it and focused on the hum of energy I felt within my chest. I closed my eyes and let it flow to my hand and into the wound.

To my amazement, I felt his skin change under my touch. It went from rough, hot, and sticky with blood to smooth and unblemished. I removed my hand and stepped back.

He held up his arm, examining its unblemished surface. "I think I do need the room to myself," he said, rolling his sleeve back over his healed arm.

"Oh. Of course." My face flushed a deep red. I grabbed my key and held it out. "Here, I'm sure you want it back now…"

He frowned at me. "Why? Keep it. Come back tonight. We need to discuss your progress."

* * *

 **HEY! I'm so sorry, I've been dealing with some stuff and never got around to uploading more chapters. I'll be uploading the next chapter soon, so don't fear! I haven't forgotten you, haha. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	31. Chapter 31

Captain Keller stood at the front of the room the next day to start our magic lessons.

"Ladies, I'm about to tell you something and you won't believe me. You need to trust me when I tell you that I am not lying to you."

I watched my peers' faces with curiosity. How would they react? Would they laugh? Would they be polite and wait for him to tell them he's joking?

"You'll be learning a new subject starting today. I know Madame Trudeau believes you'll be learning how to cope and live during times of war, but I'll actually be equipping you with skills much more valuable than that. Not all of you will be able to physically execute the things I teach you, but it's important that you learn about them." He paused, then announced, "You all possess magical abilities."

I looked around and found that most of them were confused, except for a couple.

Heather stood up abruptly and glared angrily. "Are you calling us witches?"

He laughed. "No, Lady Bell. I'm not calling you a witch."

Pearl crossed her arms. "You are! I will not be spoken to like this!"

"Please, ladies. Wait a moment before you storm out. Lady Taylor, please come up to the front."

I felt my face burn as I rose and stood beside the captain.

"Please get me that red book." He pointed to the shelf across the room.

I stared at him with frustration. I didn't want them to know about my skills already. I didn't want to share my secret. I silently pleaded with him, but he wasn't paying attention.

"Go ahead, Lady Taylor."

I sighed and reached out for the book, summoning it to my hand with ease.

The girls gasped as it floated over their heads.

"I will _not_ stand for this," cried Pearl. "This is unnatural!" She stormed from the room in anger.

Heather simply glared at me and followed Pearl out the door.

"Does anyone else have an issue with magic? This is not witchcraft. It's as natural as water and air." Everyone else just watched me with a mixture of confusion and awe. I felt my face burn and the captain dismissed me to my seat. "Thank you, Lady Taylor."

Cynthia watched me take my seat with wide eyes. I felt ashamed that I had kept such a significant secret from her. "I'm sorry," I mouthed to her. She nodded in reply, and turned back to look at the captain.

"Now, like I said, magic _is_ natural. It's actually quite commonplace. Most of you, however, will not have the same skills as Lady Taylor. There are three kinds of magic: natural, personal, and sight magics. Occasionally someone will have two kinds of magic, and that's called omni or abstract magic."

He continued on, explaining that magic usually isn't as flashy as levitating books. He shared everything he had first taught me, about what each type of magic could do, how it showed up in everyday life.

I just sat in my seat, feeling embarrassed and angry that he had put me on the spot. Finally, he dismissed us for lunch and I rushed out the door. I heard him call my name, but I pretended not to hear and rushed ahead of everyone to my room.

I ignored the pleading knocks from Cynthia and Juliet, who tried to assure me that they were only concerned about me. They eventually gave up and left.

I remained in my room throughout the duration of lunch. I shut myself in my bedroom in an effort to drown out any more knocking that might occur on my door, but nobody came, much to my relief. Right before I was going to leave for lessons with Mr. Bray and Monsieur Bouchard, someone knocked on my door again.

I ignored it, waiting for them to go away. I didn't want to explain myself to Cynthia. I felt angry at Captain Keller for making me demonstrate in front of my friends before I was ready. Heather and Pearl thought I was a witch, and Cynthia probably felt betrayed by her closest friend. A tear rolled down my cheek. This wasn't how I pictured my time here, hiding from my friends.

There was more knocking and then, "Lady Taylor?"

I stiffened. It wasn't Cynthia outside. I burned with anger. Before I could decide what to do, the door popped open.

"Lady Taylor, forgive me-"

Without thinking, I grabbed a book and threw it at him. "How dare you!" I hissed.

The book hit him square in the chest. "What was that for?" he demanded.

"You know what that was for! Go away."

He stepped in, ignoring me, and shut the door. "Stop, Lady Taylor," he said, his accent thick. "This is important."

I glared at him and picked up another book.

"Put it down!" he growled.

I looked at the book in my hand, but was startled to see no book there at all. I looked over and realized I had summoned a book with my magic. I let it fall.

"What do you want?" My voice was thick with emotion. "I don't want to talk to you right now. You humiliated me."

"What are you talking about?"

"You made me use magic in front of my friends!"

"And?"

I glowered at him. " _And_ I wanted to tell them on my own terms! They probably think I'm some kind of _freak_ now."

"They do not."

"How would you know?!" I tried holding back my tears. I didn't want to look so vulnerable and emotional in front of the captain. I wanted to look strong, not weak.

"I spoke to them!" He sounded exasperated. "They're worried about you. They weren't pleased with the way I handled things. They thought it was wrong of me to make you do that."

I felt my cheeks burn. "They don't hate me?"

"Of course not, you silly girl."

I picked up another book and lobbed it at him. "Excuse me?!"

"Stop throwing books at me!"

I was dangerously close to screaming and letting the entire palace know I was alone in my room with a man. I stomped my foot and hissed, "Don't call me a silly girl!"

He threw his hands up in the air. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. _Please_ stop throwing books and let me apologize!"

I crossed my arms and waited.

He took a deep breath. "Lady Taylor, I'm sorry for the way I have treated you. I regret the way I made you demonstrate your magic before you were ready. I was impressed by your accomplishments and wanted to show your peers how skilled you were. That does not excuse my behavior, though. I hope you can forgive me for my mistake." He picked up the book I had tossed at him. "Did you ever read this?" He held it up for me to see. It was his grandmother's poetry book.

"Don't change the subject," I demanded.

"It's on topic."

"How, exactly?"

He opened the book and held it out for me. "Read this."

Not wanting to take a step closer to him, I summoned it to me. I caught the book and read the poem.

 _The Shepherd cannot trust a Sheep_

 _But he can trust a fellow Shepherd_

 _The Sheep will roam_

 _But the Shepherd will stand firm_

 _The Shepherd cannot trust a Wolf_

 _But he can trust a fellow Shepherd_

 _The Wolf will attack_

 _But the Shepherd will stand firm_

 _The Shepherd cannot trust anyone_

 _But he can trust a fellow Shepherd_

I frowned. He had said the first two lines to me when he first left for the border to fight. "How is this on topic?"

He sighed, either with disappointment or defeat. "Isn't it obvious? I trust you, Lady Taylor. I'm sorry I didn't before." Something in the air shifted, making me feel confused.

"What did you just do?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "You felt it, didn't you?"

"What was it?"

"My magical barriers."

"You dropped them."

He cautiously stepped closer. "Yes."

"Why?"

He took a breath, then explained, "I want you to know that I'm being sincere. I do not often let them down, but we cannot afford to lose you, Lady Taylor."

"Who is 'we,' exactly?"

"Rybeth."

I frowned and waited for further explanation.

"We are at war. They have magic on their side, strong magic that rivals my own. We are not doing well. We need as many people with magic on our side as we can get."

"You're telling me that you need me to fight in a war? Against someone with magic more powerful than yours? You're telling me that Rybeth needs _me_ , someone who has no formal magical training?"

He winced. He clearly didn't like it phrased so plainly. "Yes."

I sank into a nearby chair, stunned. "How do you even use magic in a war?"

"Magic can be used to start wildfires swiftly, create protection barriers, heal troops so they can return to battle…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "The Lowendry troops are nearly impervious to any attacks we've attempted. While we have many excellent healers, I was having trouble keeping up with everything else. We don't have many people with other kinds of magic. The prince has been doing well with encouraging our troops and keeping up morale with his personal magic, but it's not enough to win."

I looked down at my hands and tried to process the information.

"Lady Taylor, I don't need an answer immediately. I know it's asking a lot of you. I wish I didn't have to even ask at all, but-"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

He blinked. "Nobody is forcing this on you. Of course you have a choice."

I looked up at him and made eye contact. "Not if I want Rybeth to remain the way it is."

He shifted his stance and I realized something about him seemed softer, less aggressive without his barriers up. He wasn't used to being so vulnerable. He didn't like admitting he wasn't strong enough to do something himself.

"I'll do it."

He released a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"What happens now?"

"You'll stay here for a little while longer so I can train you and still teach the other girls. Once I think you're ready, we'll leave."

I nodded. "How long do you think it will take?"

"I don't know. Judging from your progress already, I doubt it will take long at all. You won't be doing your afternoon lessons like before. The other four will continue, however."

"Other four?"

He frowned. "Heather doesn't want to stay. We cannot keep her here, but we also cannot allow her to leave and spread word about the magic. I've already removed those memories."

"You can do that?"

"Yes. It's difficult, but possible."

"What about Pearl?"

He hesitated. "She has disappeared."

" _Disappeared?"_

"She ran off after she left the study. I'm sure we'll find her soon." He stepped forward and held out a hand. "Come, we need to start training."

I stared at his offered hand and hesitated. He pulled it back, realizing it was still inappropriate to be so casual with a Lady of Opportunity. I stood and followed him to the Celestial Library.

He gathered an armful of books and placed them on the desk in front of me. "Let's get to work."

I was surprised to find that it really didn't take long for me to catch on. By the time it was time for me to go to dinner, I was able to deflect the captain's magic, put up magical protections around me, and start small fires.

"Your magic seems to have no limits," Captain Keller said as he picked up the books. "It's truly incredible."

I blushed. "Do you have any idea why my magic is like this?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. Go ahead and go down for dinner. You must be starving."

I looked at the door with hesitation.

"Your friends will forgive you for your secret." When I didn't move still, he stopped picking up and walked over to me. "If they do not forgive you, they are not your friends."

I looked at him in surprise. It was a very uncharacteristically sensitive response from him.

"What?"

I realized I was still staring at him. I looked away and cleared my throat. "I'm just nervous."

He didn't say anything for a moment, then went to the door. "I can go ask them to bring us dinner up here if you're really that hesitant to join the others still. We could continue training."

"Madame Trudeau wouldn't like that."

"She no longer has any authority over you."

My face twisted with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you only need to answer to myself and the royal family."

I was surprised by the immense relief I felt at the news. I wouldn't have to worry about the competition anymore. "Oh, good."

"Are you glad you don't have to follow her rules now?"

I chuckled lightly. "A little, but I'm more relieved that I'm no longer a Lady of Opportunity."

"You'll always be a Lady of Opportunity."

I groaned. "But surely this means I'm not competing?"

He looked at me with confusion. "The prince could still choose you."

"No. I don't think it's fair that the others are still learning how to be a queen and I am not. I'd prefer to opt out."

"Opt out?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes! They allow that with a regular Lady of Opportunity."

"But what if he wanted to marry you?"

I shrugged. "I don't want to marry him."

"Why not?"

I rolled my eyes. "What is this? Do I have to be interrogated to quit too?"

He frowned at me. "His Highness is my close friend. I'd like to know why you are so against marrying him."

I huffed. "Do I really have to explain it?"

"Yes, please. He likes you. You like him, don't you? You get along well."

"Of course I like him! I don't _love_ him."

He looked startled. "You don't?"

"Why would you think I do?"

He was at a loss for words. "You're a Lady of Opportunity, I had just assumed…" He trailed off, looking embarrassed.

I glared at him. "What did I say when you interviewed me? Didn't you use that stupid stone on me? I told the truth! I am here to _learn_ , Captain." I gestured around the room. "Yet you _still_ believe I am here only to marry the prince. I thought you knew better. I guess you never trusted me after all." I felt tears begin to fill my eyes and I stormed from the room.

"Eloise, wait!" Captain Keller chased after me down the hall.

I spun around. "What?"

"I am sorry. I do trust you. I do!" He looked panicked. "Please don't give up on Rybeth."

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "Captain, you are being ridiculous. I would not give up on my own country because you upset me. You need to reevaluate your opinions of women. We are not silly creatures, only interested in marrying. We do not let our emotions get the best of us so much that we would give up on the future of our country." I took a deep breath. "I am so tired of this! My whole life, people treated me like someone who can't do anything other than marry well one day. That's why I became a teacher. My students looked up to me, they respected me and treated me as more than a girl waiting to get married. That's why I came here. I could learn more! Even though we are here to learn how to become a queen, I wanted to learn whatever I could! I had no expectation to marry the prince _at all_. Do you understand me?"

His face burned red. "You are right. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. My manners are terrible after so many years of studying with only men."

"That's a poor excuse."

He nodded. "I know, Lady Taylor. It is no excuse. Please, forgive me."

"I can't forgive you. Not now." I wiped away the tears that soaked my cheeks. "Now I can't show my face at dinner," I grumbled.

"Please, let me send for food up here. We can work more."

I glared at him. "I'd prefer to eat on my own."

"I can ask for your food to go to your rooms."

"I'm capable of doing it myself." I scowled at him and stomped away.

* * *

 **Sorry!** I know I said I'd upload again yesterday, but it didn't happen. LIFE IS HARD GUYS.

 **I PROMISE I'LL KEEP UPDATING. Don't worry!** You all know that I love this story. I have almost the entire thing written now. I'm just smoothing out the last couple chapters. **Please be patient if an update doesn't come when you expect it to. Like I said, LIFE IS HARD.** I love reading your reviews, keep 'em coming!


	32. Chapter 32

Cynthia, Juliet, and Rita forgave me easily for keeping my secrets from them. They enjoyed watching me practice my newfound skills and were in awe of everything I was able to do. Lola wasn't as thrilled with me. She was skeptical of my magic and what it meant. She wasn't unkind, but she no longer went out of her way to spend time with me.

My afternoon lessons with the captain were tense. We only spoke of magic and nothing else. I had a hard time forgiving him for his behavior and lack of trust. He didn't try to press the subject, either. We mostly shared the library in a quiet coexistence. I learned a lot on my own. I very rarely needed his help at all, actually.

I found myself disappointed in the book on sight magic that Captain Keller had said contained ways to force visions. The only one that I assumed would truly work was to speak against my instinctual sight magic- what gave me the _feeling_ that something would happen. However, I wasn't able to truly test it out.

It was about a month later when he decided that I learned all I could, and that we needed to make our departure to the border.

"We'll leave in a week," the captain told me one evening, shuffling papers around. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Yes." In reality, I was terrified. I knew that it was possible I wouldn't make it out of the war alive, but I knew Rybeth counted on me.

"I have the seamstress making you more appropriate garments."

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "Less constricting and a little more inconspicuous. You can't wear your gowns to war."

"Obviously not," I said with a huff. "I was just curious as to what I would be wearing exactly."

He flushed red again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"I have a couple questions."

He nodded. "Go ahead."

"How do I drop my mental barriers?"

He stopped messing with his stack of papers and looked at me with curiosity. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I need to know how to put them back up. What if-" I stopped myself, confused. "What do you call people with magic? Who use magic?"

"Magic users."

"What if their magic users can tear down my barriers? I should know how to put them back up. I need to know how it feels to have those barriers down. What if I don't even know they're down?"

"Trust me, you'll know. You make an excellent point, though. I didn't think of that." He walked over and sat down in a nearby chair. "Take a seat."

I sat down and waited for further direction.

"First, you need to feel completely at ease. Which I know isn't easy for you in my presence... You might not accomplish it right now since I'm here."

"I'll accomplish it. Keep going."

He paused for a moment, not knowing what to say. "Once you feel at ease, you need to feel for those barriers. Once you have identified them, expand your mind and relax. Let your thoughts move past the barriers." I felt the air shift. "I'll put my barriers down. It might help you feel more comfortable."

I nodded and relaxed my shoulders, then took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I felt for the barriers in my mind and found them with ease. I let my mind wander and think about joyful things. I let my barriers melt away and felt a warm breeze brush against my face.

I opened my eyes to see the captain staring at me with a strange expression. His eyes shone with a strange intensity I hadn't seen before. He was almost in a trance.

"What is it?"

He blinked, startled. "Hm? Oh, nothing."

"You had a strange look."

He cleared his throat. "I've never seen anyone cause a physical change to their environment when they bring their barriers down."

"What do you mean?"

"That breeze. It came from you."

"Oh." I felt a strange hum inside me. The captain and I maintained eye contact for a long moment. His face seemed softer, less guarded than even the last time his barriers were down.

"Eloise, I…" He leaned forward slightly.

"Yes?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but then shook his head, breaking eye contact. "I'm sorry, Lady Taylor. Let's work on building those barriers again." I felt his barriers go back up. "Pull your thoughts back in and feel for the barriers. They should pop back up with ease for you."

I did as he said and found it was very easy to bring them back up. "Thank you, Captain Keller."

"Of course. Why don't you head down for dinner. Morning lessons are canceled now while we prepare to leave. Meet me in the north gardens after breakfast and we'll go over some basic physical training. I will have more appropriate clothes sent to your room."

I nodded and left the library, making my way down to dinner. It was a small gathering now that only five of us remained. I didn't have much to say to the others when I showed up several minutes late. They smiled at me warmly and began filling me in on what happened during their own lessons. I laughed at their jokes about Mr. Bray and sympathized when they had a complaint. I couldn't bear to tell them about what I was training to do.

"We're going to miss you," Juliet said abruptly.

I looked at her in confusion. "Miss me?"

"When you go away for more training next week. Madame Trudeau said you'll be doing further studies with a master magic user?"

I cleared my throat. "Oh, yes. That's right. I'm sorry I didn't tell you…"

"It's okay. She told us it was only confirmed today."

"That's true," I said softly.

Cynthia reached over and patted my hand. "Are you nervous?"

I smiled the best I could. "Oh, just a little."

"You love learning, I'm sure it's exciting too." Rita grinned at me.

"Yes, I do love learning," I agreed.

The next morning, I woke up to find a stack of new clothes in my sitting room along with my breakfast. I nibbled on a piece of toast as I unfolded the clothing. To my surprise, I found riding breeches and a loose-fitting tunic style shirt. I felt a little excited. "Maybe he'll take me seriously in these," I mumbled. I finished my food, got dressed, and tied my hair back in the most practical way I could manage.

When I arrived at the north gardens, Captain Keller was sparring with a palace guard. He didn't notice me approach, so I waited until they were finished.

"Captain Keller?" I asked as he helped the guard up from the dirt.

He turned and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Am I really going to have to fight their magic user like that?"

He laughed. "No. Not like that."

"Then what are we doing here?"

"I'll teach you some basic self-defense techniques in case their magic user manages to take your magic and you need to protect yourself another way."

I gasped. "They could take my magic away?! Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"Well, I didn't want to scare you…"

I glared at him. He still hadn't learned to trust me? "You mean you thought I would-"

He held up a hand. "No, Lady Taylor. I'll stop you there. I did not think it would change your mind. I simply didn't want to scare you more than necessary."

I blushed. "Is there no _magical_ way to protect myself from that happening?"

"Luckily, the only way they can take your magic is by physically touching you. The only way I know how to prevent it is to not let someone touch you, which shouldn't be difficult."

"Why couldn't _you_ just absorb more magic from someone else and fight the Lowendry magic user yourself?"

"Only incredibly powerful magic users can perform such a task. I'm not strong enough, nor would I take magic from someone else. It's not easy to return magic to someone else. I don't know if I could reverse it- if I were even capable of taking it in the first place."

"Can you teach me how to do it?"

He blinked. "Why would you want to know?"

"What if I manage to knock them unconscious? I could take their magic and then they wouldn't be a threat anymore."

He grimaced. "Unfortunately, it's not that easy. I don't know that you could withstand that much power in addition to your own. You can't just take someone's magic away, either. It has to go _somewhere,_ and it can't just go to the first available person. It could be very dangerous. There's a lot of rules when it comes to redistributing magic."

I nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Now, let's get started."

I took the place of the guard and the captain walked me through what might happen if someone were to get physically close to me. I quickly found out that I wasn't very good at deflecting physical attacks.

"Stop using your magic!" he admonished as I pushed him away with a barrier.

I groaned with frustration. "I can't help it!"

"Well try harder!"

He managed to grab me again and I tried my best to fight back without magic. I pushed back against him and broke free.

"Better."

We spent most of the morning training. I felt exhausted and unbelievably weak by the time the sun rose high enough to tell us it was time for lunch. Several maids came out to set up a table and chairs in preparation for our meal. Captain Keller stepped away to speak to them.

I dropped to the ground in defeat. I still wasn't making much progress.

He turned back to me. "Lunch should be ready for us in-" He rushed to my side and knelt down beside me. "Lady Taylor? Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "No. Just exhausted and sore."

He studied me for a second. "Something else is bothering you."

I glared at him.

"I didn't try and read you," he said, knowing what I was about to say. "But I can tell something else is on your mind."

I didn't have the energy to hide my emotions. My face fell and I began to cry, much to the captain's surprise. "I can't do this!"

"You can't do what, exactly?"

"I can't win a fight with a magic user more experienced and more powerful than me!"

"You don't know that they are more powerful than you. I really doubt that anyone could be more powerful than you. I have met nearly all of the most powerful magic users from all across the continent. None compare to your power."

I continued to cry. "Even so, they are definitely more experienced than me."

"You've been training nonstop. You're dedicated and smart." He hesitated, then said, "If you want to stay here, you can. You aren't obligated to do this."

"I can't do that! Then Rybeth will never have a chance!"

He wanted to argue that it wasn't true, Rybeth would find a way. I could tell he wanted to tell me I was wrong. He didn't, though.

"See? You know I'm right."

He reached over and grasped my hand. He caught my eye and said in Havarian, _"It doesn't matter. You don't have to put yourself in danger. You don't have to fight right now if you don't think you can. We can train more, hone your skills. Perhaps they will manage to overtake more of Rybeth if we wait, but by then you would have more training and more confidence in yourself. You are not obligated to do this, Lady Taylor."_

I sniffled. _"Do you think I can do it now?"_

He squeezed my hand. _"I know you can."_

I suddenly felt lighter, less sore. I almost felt energized. I took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, Captain."

He pulled his hand away quickly, as if just then noticing my hand in his. He stood up and stepped toward the table and chairs, where we saw a footman setting down a tray of food. "Let's eat and we can discuss it more later."

I nodded and stood, brushing the dirt off my breeches.

We ate our light lunch in silence. As the footmen took the empty dishes and trays away, a palace guard came running over.

"What is it?" the captain asked.

"A message from the king." He held out a letter.

Captain Keller took the letter and opened it while the guard waited for instructions.

"We have to leave, now."

"Leave?" I asked.

He looked at me. "Do you want to stay behind or go to the front?"

"I'll go with you."

He turned to the guard. "Get a bag for Lady Taylor's belongings and have someone prepare horses for us." He turned back to me as the guard rushed off. "Go gather your things. Don't bring anything of value- only the essentials. We'll leave immediately."

"Can I say goodbye?"

He shook his head. "They can't know- and there's not any time. Every minute not on the road is a minute wasted."

"Of course." I began to make my way back to the palace as quickly as possible.

"Lady Taylor?"

I stopped and turned back to the captain.

He had a strange look on his face again. "Thank you. For agreeing to this."

"Of course," I repeated. "It's my duty."

He didn't reply, so I turned back and rushed off again.

I found a bag waiting on my bed when I arrived in my room. I quickly grabbed my new clothes and shoved them inside. I looked around the room, knowing I wouldn't need anything, but feeling strange not packing anything else. I felt tears form, but I blinked them away. I wouldn't get emotional now. I had to remain strong.

I tossed the bag over my shoulder and ran out the door. I looked down the hall, making sure nobody was there, then hurried down the stairs and out of the palace. The rocks crunched under my boots as I ran to the stables.

I found the captain stuffing some saddlebags on a large gray horse. He looked up as I approached and pointed to a chestnut colored mare. "She's yours. Pack your saddlebags. There's food on that hay bale there."

I shoved my small bag of clothes in one side and grabbed the satchel of food. I stuffed it into the other bag and looked to the captain.

He looked at me solemnly. "Eloise, I can't thank you enough. Rybeth is indebted to you forever. You're an incredible woman. I'm sorry for the way I have treated you."

I ignored his use of my given name. "I haven't done anything yet."

"You're doing a lot just by agreeing to this."

"You're welcome, then, I suppose."

He nodded. "Let's go."

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"Where are we going?"

His face fell. "Ravendale."

My body went cold. "Ravendale?"

"Lowendry isn't there yet, but they're close."

"How far are they?" I asked.

"About a day's journey, I think. We should arrive before any fighting begins."

I felt sick. "Do they know?"

"Do the villagers know they're coming? Yes. Women and children are being evacuated to Cliffside."

"Good." I thought of my mother, of Cynthia's family. I thought of my friend Tess and her aunt and uncle. I hoped that Tess was safe somewhere as the Lady of Opportunity. I felt a pang of sorrow. I hadn't written to her like I should have. It had been months since my last letter. I shook the guilt off and set my shoulders. "Let's go, then."

He helped me mount my horse and then mounted his own.

We took off, rocks flying from under the horses' hooves. We rode out of the palace grounds on a different path than the one we normally took. The guards at that gate were expecting us and had it already opened so we didn't have to stop.

We made good progress and rode until darkness began to creep across the sky. When nightfall arrived and it was too dark to continue safely, we found an inn and stopped to sleep. The captain gave me a hat to hide my hair and told me to wait outside while he got us a room to share. If he asked for two rooms, it might have given me away. It was best nobody knew I was a woman.

Once he had a room secured, we went upstairs. He gestured to the bed. "You take the bed. I'll sleep here by the door." He grabbed a pillow from the bed and an extra blanket from the chest at the foot of the bed and laid it on the floor.

"Thank you." I placed my bag on the chest and sat on the edge of the bed. I took my boots off and yawned. "When will we arrive?" I asked.

"Hopefully before nightfall tomorrow. It's a much quicker journey by horseback, isn't it?"

"Yes, most definitely."

He sat down on his makeshift bed and pulled a book from his bag. "Are you scared?"

I bit my lip. "Terrified."

"I'm sorry I got you into this."

I looked at him with surprise. He looked genuinely concerned. "Don't be."

He didn't respond. He stared down at the book in his hands, turning it from from cover to cover.

"What book is that?"

He cleared his throat. When he spoke, his accent made his words almost impossible to understand. "My grandmother's poetry. I take it everywhere with me. It feels like home."

" _Do you miss Havaria?_ " I switched to his native language.

" _Deeply._ " He shook his head. _"But I've come to love Rybeth. There's nothing for me back in Havaria. This is my home now."_

" _What is your favorite poem of hers?"_

His face brightened slightly, then flushed. _"I couldn't really say."_

I yawned. "We should sleep," I said.

"Right. Of course." He blew out the candle on the nightstand. "Good night, Lady Taylor."

I slipped under the blankets and fell asleep quickly.

* * *

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	33. Chapter 33

That night, I had a vision. I saw the prince, king, and Cynthia's brother, Walter, in the Ravendale town hall, surrounded by dozens of other military officials and townspeople. They stood before a large table covered in maps and papers.

A soldier entered the room. "They've arrived, Your Majesty."

"Good, good. Send them in as soon as they're ready."

The prince frowned. "Who's here?"

"Captain Keller and his student."

"Who's his student?"

"He won't say," the king replied. "Only that he's incredibly powerful. Our only hope to win this battle against the Lowendry magic user."

Daniel frowned. "I don't like it when he keeps secrets from us. I don't have a good feeling about this."

The king shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Daniel. We need him."

"They're ready for you, sir," the same soldier said.

"Send them in."

I watched as Captain Keller entered and saw myself right behind him. It felt surreal to see myself in my own vision. I watched myself and realized that Future Eloise was looking almost directly at me.

"Lady Taylor?" Walter looked at them with surprise.

"What is she doing here, Keller?" the king demanded. "Where is your student? Why is she dressed so inappropriately?!"

"This _is_ my student. Lady Taylor is the most powerful magic user I've ever met. She can help us win."

"No," Daniel said, his eyes flashing with anger. "I won't put her life in danger."

"You don't have a choice!" I heard my own voice cry out in frustration. "It isn't your choice. It's my choice. Captain Keller isn't forcing me to be here."

"Lady Taylor, please, let us men talk. Leave." The king waved his hand in dismissal.

"No. You don't speak to her like that." Captain Keller had a fierce look in his eyes. "She's staying."

"Captain, watch yourself."

"No!" he straightened his posture. "Lady Taylor, show His Majesty what you can do."

I watched Future Eloise lift the entire table with magic.

"See? She's more than capable. She will stay. She will fight their magic user."

The king stared at him with a mix of anger and confusion. "I cannot put a woman's life in danger."

"You aren't!" Future Eloise glared at the men around the floating table and dropped it. "I am putting my own life on the line. It is not your decision. It is mine, and mine alone!"

"Father, I don't think we have a choice," the prince said.

"No, you don't." Captain Keller walked over and slapped his hand on the table. "She is staying. She is fighting."

I felt a strange shock. " _Eloise_." I sat up with a gasp, breathing hard.

"I'm sorry, you weren't waking up. Were you having a vision?"

I looked at the captain. "You didn't tell them you're bringing _me_?" I demanded.

He frowned. "No. I didn't."

"They aren't going to be happy about it."

"They can't tell me no if you're already there."

I rolled my eyes. "They're going to try."

He gave me a smug look. "They give in, though, don't they?"

"Yes. At least, I think so," I admitted begrudgingly. "You woke me just as they were giving in."

"See? It will be fine. Now let's go." He tossed me a piece of bread and cheese. "Eat up and get dressed. I'll come get you as soon as the horses are saddled and ready to go."

We made good time on our way to Ravendale. We stopped for lunch under a large willow tree by a small pond. We let the horses graze a bit longer than we otherwise would have and relaxed under the shade of the tree's long branches.

"Lowendry has one major magic user," the captain said. "We don't know who it is, but we know they're very powerful. I'm hoping you'll be even more powerful, though. That's who you will be facing. Just remember all of the defensive and offensive skills you learned. It won't be easy, but I believe in you." He let his barriers down and laid back against the tree trunk. "I hope this will all be over soon."

"Are you scared?" I asked.

He took a deep breath, then looked over at me. "Yes. I am."

"What are you most afraid of?"

He didn't answer immediately. "All of it."

We made eye contact briefly and I felt my barriers drop away. The warm breeze caused by it blew my hair slightly.

He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he sighed and stood up. "We should get going.

I stood up and brushed myself off. "Yes, we should."

He turned to untie the horses, but I grabbed his hand.

"Captain, if something happens to me…"

He turned back to me and looked at me with an intense gaze. I expected him to reprimand me for talking about dying. Instead, he simply asked, "Yes?"

"I want you to know that I'm grateful for everything you've taught me. You're a good teacher."

" _Thank you."_ His voice caught as he continued, _"I'm honored to have taught you_. _"_

Captain Keller and I had made it to Ravendale without any incident. We stabled our horses and made our way to the town hall immediately and walked into the meeting that I had seen in my vision.

The captain slapped the table. "She is staying. She is fighting."

"What if she dies?" the king demanded. "Will you be happy with her death on your hands?"

The captain swallowed and looked him in the eye. "It's like she said. I did not force her to be here. It was her choice to come and fight. I gave her multiple chances to say no. I almost wish she had."

I looked at him in surprise. Something in his voice was different.

The king grumbled incoherently, then said, "Fine. She can stay. But it is not my fault if anything happens to her."

The men then briefed us on what was happening. They explained the plan for the following morning when they would return to battle. They also told the captain and I everything they knew about the magic user from Lowendry.

"He's usually right at the front," a general told us. He looked to me. "It's best if you're right there also. We want him to see you and put his focus on you, not the rest of the troops."

I nodded. "How can I get him away from everyone else? Is there a way to take our fight away from the main battle? I'm afraid it will be destructive."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the captain grip the edge of the table. The general told me, "You can draw him away once you have his attention. You know the area. Take him somewhere away from everyone else."

"I can do that."

"Do you have a plan?" he asked.

"No. I don't know what his magic is like. I'll have to make it up as I go."

The men around me were silent as if I had issued my own death sentence.

"We wish you the best of luck, Lady Taylor," Walter said, breaking the silence.

"I hope the captain is right to be so confident in your skills."

I looked over at the captain, who was staring at the map with concentration.

"I hope so too," I told the general.

That night, the captain and I were housed in Cynthia's parents' home with Walter. Mr. and Mrs. Warner had fled to Cliffside with the eldest brothers and their families. At dinner, Walter explained that they hadn't forced any man to stay and fight. Walter had chosen to stay behind and had proven to be incredibly helpful in his knowledge of the area. After we ate, we moved to the sitting room and talked.

"How is my sister?" Walter asked me.

I smiled. "Wonderful. She's doing really well."

"I'm glad to hear. She was always extra sensitive when she was younger. I worried about her when you both left for the palace.

"There's no need to worry about her. She's a very skilled person. She's smart and compassionate. She is going to very well for herself."

"She's an excellent student," the captain offered. "And the prince seems to be fond of her."

Walter laughed. "I can tell. He likes to ask me about her any chance he can get. I told him he's the only man worthy of her."

I smiled. "I have to agree with you."

"And I admit that she's one of only a couple women I believe is worthy of him."

He raised an eye at the captain. "Who else could possibly be as good for the prince as my sister?"

He hesitated. "All of the Ladies of Opportunity are extraordinary women."

Walter looked at me and smiled. "You really mean Lady Eloise, don't you?"

I felt my face burn. Surely he didn't mean me.

"I think I need some sleep," Captain Keller replied instead, ignoring the question.

"Yes, we should all get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

Walter had given me Cynthia's room while he stayed in his old room, with the Captain across the hall. I wished them goodnight and went to my room for the night. I changed into a clean set of breeches and and shirt and climbed into Cynthia's incredibly soft bed. It didn't take me very long at all to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.

When I woke up, I wasn't in the same place as where I had fallen asleep. My body felt heavy and my head was pounding. I blinked rapidly to adjust my eyes. It seemed to be early morning. The light was soft and golden, the air crisp and cool. I looked around and found myself in a horse stall. I picked hay out of my hair and groaned. At least it was clean. I tried to stand, but found myself shackled at the ankle by a very short chain. I pulled at it fruitlessly.

"Hello?" I called out in a panic. "Hello! Is anyone there?"

I heard a horse snort in the stall next to me.

"Quiet!" I heard a low voice bark.

"Please! Where am I?"

"I said quiet, witch!" Whoever it was banged on the stall door, rattling the walls around me. I groaned and covered my ears as the noise echoed in my head.

I pulled at the short chain and tried to stand again. I managed to get myself to stand right against the wall and craned my neck to look out the window. To my dismay, I found myself at my parents' farm.

" _How dare you!"_ I screamed.

The stable door slid open and a large, snarling man glared at me. "Hey! What did I say? _Be q-_ " Before he could finish, I sent the man flying back with a force of magic. He hit the far wall of the barn and fell to the floor, unconscious. I placed my focus on the chain around my ankle. I managed to break it apart and burst out of the stall. I opened the second stall and led the horse from its place. I gripped its mane and managed to swing onto its back with the assistance of a nearby crate.

I urged the horse from the barn. I sent the other guards around the yard flying onto their backs and got to the end of the lane when I was yanked off the horse's back. I landed on my back and cried out in pain. I quickly scrambled to my feet and spun around to see who had pulled me from my mount. It had to have been the Lowendry magic user. I could sense the magic in the yard. However, when I looked, nobody was there. I growled in frustration. "Show yourself!"

I heard a laugh and a tall, slender man emerged from my childhood home. "My dear, welcome home." He was dressed impeccably. A scar ran across his left cheek. His lips curled into a cruel smile.

I glared at him. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I wanted a much more intimate confrontation instead of out in battle. War is so… _messy_."

"You don't belong here."

"And you don't really belong here either. Not anymore."

I used my magic and shoved him against the side of the house. He barely flinched. "You will pay for what you're doing to my country."

He shook his head and brushed himself off. He began to make his way towards me. "What _I'm_ doing to your country? Child, it is your own monarchs who are bringing this upon themselves."

"Don't call me a child." I stood my ground. "And don't speak ill of my royal family."

He continued to grow closer. "Your rulers should have thought about the peace of their kingdom before they decided to reject a Lowendry treaty."

"What are you talking about?" I spat.

"Your king and queen could have arranged to have their son marry the princess from Lowendry and secure a treaty, ensuring peace for years to come. Instead, they snubbed us and now _you're_ dealing with the repercussions of their choices."

I laughed. "You call me a child, but this behavior is incredibly childish! This won't solve _anything_."

"Watch yourself, young lady." He grinned. "I know your secret. I know you're the most powerful magic user in Rybeth, but you're young. A child. You don't know how to use what you have. You're untrained and weak. You won't be hard to defeat."

"You don't know anything about me!"

Behind him, I saw a figure exit the house.

"I clearly do," he said, gesturing to the farm around him. "Thankfully, I had some help."

The person stepped out from the shadows and I could see them better. _"Pearl?"_

She glowered at me. "Be quiet, witch!"

"You were the Lowendry spy?!"

She just glared at me.

The man laughed. "That was a coincidence. One of the girls at Cliffside hated you _so much_ that she wrote and made up a lie about you." He gestured back to Pearl. "She wasn't meant to be a spy. We simply took another girl's place and sent _her_ instead to try and get the prince to marry her. This is Her Highness, Princess Pearl of Lowendry."

"You're the princess of Lowendry?!" I gaped at her in confusion. "Who were the people who came during the family week?"

"Stand-ins," the man answered for her.

I noticed a large rock behind the man and subtly summoned it. I made it rise and sent it flying at the back of his head. I watched it grow closer to its target and suddenly stop in mid-air.

"Nice try, you foolish girl." He stopped walking and let the rock drop behind him. "You still have _so_ much to learn. Unfortunately, you had a very sub-par instructor."

"You don't know anything about my instruction," I insisted.

Everything I said seemed to entertain him. He chuckled. "My dear, I know _everything_ about your instruction. Captain Keller was once a dear friend of mine. He may have been a Royal Scholar, but he was never a particularly _skilled_ Scholar. It's an absolute shame that he lost his magic."

I frowned in confusion. Lost his magic? I knew for a fact he had magic. "He's an excellent instructor! He's very skilled. You don't know what you're talking about."

The man ignored me. "I'm hoping he'll show his face here. I have a lot to say. I'd love to see him watch his prized pupil die."

I shuddered at the thought.

"Speechless, hm?"

I tried hurling more objects around the yard at him, but he deflected and stopped each one.

"Stop it!" he yelled. "I can't concentrate when you do that."

That was enough to encourage me even more. I used every ounce of magic I could muster to summon objects and aimed them all at him.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he hissed, and suddenly the world grew dark and I felt myself falling.

When I awoke, I found myself back in the barn. I felt weak and strangely empty. My head hurt worse than ever. I groaned and sat up. I rubbed my temples. "Not again," I groaned. Judging from the lighting in the stall, I could tell it hadn't been long since I had been knocked out. I reached for the chain and tried to remove it with magic again. Nothing happened. I took a deep breath and tried again to summon the magical energy within me, but I couldn't find it.

No. No, it couldn't be. I tried over and over, but my magic was gone. I sobbed until I couldn't breathe. This wasn't supposed to happen to me. It couldn't be possible. How could he have defeated me so easily? "NO!" I screamed between gasps.

The stall door slid open and the Lowendry magic user stood before me. He laughed cruelly. "It's unnatural for women to possess magic. Women are far too emotional and not nearly smart enough. You've proven it quite well today."

"What did you _do_ to me?!" I cried.

He crouched down to meet my eyes. "I did the same thing to you that I did to your pathetic instructor. I took your magic. Although with him, I left enough behind that he still to this day has no idea that he's missing anything. You, though… You have nothing left. You're just a farm girl now."

I spat in his face. "You are a _monster_."

He calmly wiped his face and said, "No, my dear. _You_ are. Well, you were. Women who contain that much magic are witches, a menace to society. I did you a favor."

* * *

 **Double update! This is my way of thanking you for keeping up with my story. Enjoy!**


	34. Chapter 34

"Who are you?"

He smiled. "My name is Nikolas. I am the Royal Magic Advisor to the royal family in Lowendry, and the most powerful magic user on the continent."

"How did you find me exactly?" I demanded. "How did you get me out of the Warners' home?"

He laughed. "For someone with my caliber of magic, tracking a powerful magic user wasn't easy. I was shocked that it was a young girl, but you were a threat nonetheless. Besides, the princess had gathered information of each of the ladies. I knew where you lived before I even knew you were the most powerful magic user in Rybeth. As for how I got you out of the house? It was quite easy. Surprisingly so, actually. I expected much more of a challenge. Two of my assistants- magic users also- disguised themselves as the relief for the guards stationed outside. Then they were able to get others inside the house, who were then able to keep everyone inside asleep. They simply carried you outside." He sighed and shook his head. "It's quite sad how little you know about magic, if you had truly _trained_ for as long as you did."

It made me sick to think of how easy it had been for them, and it made sense. Natural magic was used in healing as an anesthetic and sedative, after all. It could be used to keep someone asleep for more sinister purposes also. It also explained how they got past the soliders posted around the perimeter of the town.

"Now, I understand you must be feeling very upset. I took your magic, after all. I can change that if you want. You can get your magic back." He sneered and corrected himself, "Well, I can give you _some_ of your magic back. You just have to do something for me in return. You see, it's very lonely being the only one in Lowendry with such talent. I need a companion, someone who doesn't flinch at the idea of magic. You're pretty enough, smart enough. If you agree to marry me, I'll give you enough natural magic that would make you a decent healer. You would be revered in Lowendry. Healers are highly regarded."

" _Marry_ you?" I repeated weakly.

He nodded and smiled. "They don't _actually_ respect you here," he said. "You're a farmer's daughter. They believe you belong right where you are. In a barn with the animals. You don't actually believe that after the prince kicked you to the side that you would be welcomed into society? You would have been shunned, especially with that magic. You are far too lowly to truly mean anything to them."

My face was soaked in tears. I wiped them away and tried to calm down.

"What did you do with my magic?" I asked hesitantly.

"It's in a safe place. Don't worry about it."

"You didn't take it for yourself?"

He laughed. "Child, the amount of magic I already possess is astronomical. I am unable to absorb any more magic."

"Who else did you take magic from?"

"Nobody. Oskar was once _very_ powerful. He has no idea, of course."

I was startled by the information. I had assumed Nikolas hadn't taken _that_ much magic. The captain had quite a bit of magic still. "What do you mean?"

"Curious, aren't we?"

"I'd like to know more about the man I'm going to marry."

He raised an eyebrow and smirked, almost triumphantly. "Are you considering my offer?"

"Yes."

"What a good girl." His smirk curved into a wicked smile and knelt down once again. "I'll take you back to Lowendry and you won't need to think about him ever again. Tell me. Why would you want to consider my offer? You called me a monster. You tried to attack me. I can't just take your word for it. You could be lying to trick me. After all, you were a _witch_."

I sighed. "You were right. They don't value me at all. I was treated poorly at the palace. Even the maids knew I didn't belong. They didn't care if I succeeded or not. They sent me here to die fighting for them! I'm just a farm girl, a school teacher who belongs in this barn. You said I could be a healer, respected in Lowendry. I want that."

He grinned and reached out to pat my face. I smiled at his touch. "You're smarter than you look," he said, almost mockingly.

"I'm really not," I mumbled.

He laughed. "You're right. So tell me, will you marry me?"

I swallowed hard against the emotions building inside me. "Yes."

He reached over and unlocked the shackle around my ankle. "Don't forget, I am stronger than you. It would take nothing for me to end you. Don't try anything." He stood up and walked out of the stall. "Come along."

I nodded and stood up carefully. I still felt weak and uneasy. "I have no reason to. You're the only person who can give me a better life."

"Good. Come with me to the house, my dear. One of my guards can wed us."

"Already?"

He turned around and frowned. "I thought you wanted this."

"I do! I just didn't realize you meant so soon. I thought we would wait until we got to Lowendry for it to be official."

"Don't be ridiculous. I can't just bring a girl from Rybeth, but you will be welcomed as my wife."

"Of course. That would be best. I wasn't thinking." I followed him out of the barn slowly, unable to move very well, and blinked against the bright sun.

"Tell me, Miss Taylor," he said, stopping to wait for me to catch up. "Are you excited? What are you most looking forward to?"

"I will admit I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited." I gave him a sweet, sincere smile despite my weakness. "I am honored you would even want me to marry you. You're so powerful, surely you could have gotten any woman you wished. Instead, you chose to take me from this wretched place." I took a few steps more, then stopped. I felt ill, even more weak. I continued on, though.

"I look forward to being a healer, of course. I enjoy taking care of others. I'm very excited to be respected for once. And I'll be married to the most powerful magic user on the continent! People will be jealous of us! We will be invited to every party and social event. I'm sure the wife of such a powerful man will have the most beautiful dresses. Every woman in Lowendry will be envious of me and my beautiful gowns. I just _know_ we will have a good life together."

He smirked. "I like how you think, dear girl. I believe you're not far off in your assumptions. Now come along, please."

I felt dizzy and confused, but I forced my legs to move. As I followed Nikolas to the house, the world began to grow dim. "I don't feel very well," I whimpered.

"That's to be expected after you get stripped of all of your magic." He turned at looked at me with exasperation when he realized I had stopped walking. "Come on, stop being so dramatic."

"I think-" I suddenly lost all grip on reality and I fell to the dirt below me.

I opened my eyes and sighed with relief. It had worked- I had successfully forced myself into a vision. Nikolas had overlooked my sight magic and had left it behind when he took my natural and personal magics. I looked around and found myself standing beside my lifeless body in the farm's lane. Then I saw Nikolas a few feet away and frowned in confusion. My vision wasn't in the future, it was happening in the present.

He sighed. "Such a weak girl." He made his way back over and knelt down beside me, feeling for a pulse. He rolled his eyes and stood. "So much for that. Guards!"

Two guards appeared. "Yes, Sir Nikolas?"

"Take her body and bury it somewhere. She was too weak."

Bury my body? But I wasn't dead!

"Yes, sir."

They leaned down to pick up my body when a cry rang out.

" _Eloise! No!"_ I turned to see the captain staring at my body. "What did you do to her?!" He lunged, ready to attack, but the two guards caught him by the arms.

Nikolas clicked his tongue with disappointment. "Oh, don't do that, Oskar."

The captain's gray eyes were wild with anger. "You will pay for this."

"Oh, I doubt that. You came here alone? Hm? What a silly move. Not that anyone else could help you against me," he said. He strolled casually over to my body with his hands clasped behind his back. He nudged my arm with his foot. "A beautiful girl. So agreeable. She was so excited to be respected for once."

"What are you talking about?"

"She was going to marry me in exchange for her magic. Well, _some_ of her magic. She would marry me, get some healing magic…"

."What did you do to her magic?"

Nikolas laughed. "I took it from her. It's quite easy. As I was saying, she was quite eager to marry me. She wanted to be respected. As a healer, she would have been respected in Lowendry, unlike how she was treated here in Rybeth."

The captain glared at his old classmate. "She _is_ respected here! Immensely!"

"You were going to send a _girl_ into battle in place of a man! You didn't respect her. You used her for her magic. She was a farm girl and a witch. She was destined to fail the minute you began training her, if you can even call it training." He unclasped his hands and stretched his leg back, swinging it forward to kick my lifeless body.

I winced and looked to the captain. He cried out and fought against the guards holding him back. "Stop it, you filth! Don't touch her!"

Nikolas laughed cruelly. "How does it feel, hm? You're absolutely powerless. You don't have your magic. Your prized student, a Lady of Opportunity, dead."

"I have my magic," he yelled back.

"Oh, but you don't. You see, when we were learning about magic, I knew you had strong magic. Stronger than anyone I had ever met. You were young, younger than me, and just getting started. I was jealous, naturally. I didn't have nearly the power you did. I was struggling with my studies. So I researched ways to steal your magic and make it my own. I couldn't take it all, because then I would have gotten caught. Luckily I could take just half of your magic for myself and leave the other half so that you wouldn't know anything was amiss. And it worked!" He smirked. "It was easy, really. You fell asleep in the library one night. All I had to do was drain it from you. It's irreversible. You'll never get it back. Just like her."

I suddenly felt a strange hum of energy coming from Nikolas. I reached out and touched his arm. He couldn't see or feel my touch, he just continued to prattle on about how he had stolen the captain's magic and how satisfying it was to see him fail continuously in school. I focused as he kept talking and I realized his barriers were down. I knew what to do.

I closed my eyes and focused on the energy within him. I took a deep breath and pulled at the energy, draining it out of him into a bright and golden glowing ball. I gasped in awe and stepped away quickly. I held it in my hands and smiled. I looked up at the captain's face, now streaked with tears. I walked over and stood right in front of him.

I looked into his eyes. He looked so tired, so defeated. He had lost hope. I took the ball of energy and pressed it against him. It melted into his skin and his chest glowed under my hands for a moment. I felt a rush of emotions and I couldn't tell if it was his emotions or my own. I looked back up at the captain's face as it twisted in confusion from the sudden surge of energy.

" _The shepherd cannot trust anyone, but he can trust a fellow shepherd,"_ I said softly.

For a moment, I could have sworn he saw me. His eyes lost the hollow, haunted look and were instead filled with purpose. He grinned and I felt a burst of energy as he pushed the guards off of him. "I'll never get it back?" the captain asked, mocking the nearly powerless man before him.

I stepped back beside my body and watched Nikolas shake with confusion, anger, and fear. "How did you do that?!"

He grinned with pride. "I may not have been a good teacher, but she was. She taught me to _never_ underestimate the power and might of a young woman. She tricked you, Nikolas. She was never going to marry you. She told you what you wanted to hear, against her own magic."

"She had no magic!"

He laughed. "You took natural and personal magic from her, didn't you?"

"Yes! I took all of her magic!"

The captain walked slowly towards Nikolas. "You didn't take her sight magic."

" _Sight_ magic?" He looked panicked.

"Yes. She possessed all three magics. She wasn't a witch, she was the most powerful magic user I had ever met. Now I suggest you tell me where you put her magic."

"I will never!" He took off towards the house, running as fast as he could.

Captain Keller reached out and pulled him away from the house. "I suggest you listen carefully, Nikolas. You _will_ tell me where her magic is."

"It doesn't matter! She's dead! I won't tell you."

The captain shook his head. "She can't be dead."

"She is!" he hissed. "She has no pulse. I checked myself. She's _gone_."

Captain Keller knelt beside my body and felt for my pulse. When he found none, he stepped away, his face twisted in confusion while he stared down at me. He lost his grip on Nikolas, who ran off into the house.

"Captain, no!" I cried out. "I'm not dead! I'm right here! Stop him! He's getting away! He's going to get my magic!" I ran to his side and tried to grab his arm, but my hands passed right through. "No! Captain Keller, _please!_ I'm here!" I looked down at my hands and found that I was starting to fade away. "No," I sobbed. "I can't go yet."

Nikolas reemerged and sent a pulse of magic out at the captain.

"She really was quite powerful," he said in awe, looking at his hands with excitement.

The captain looked up, fury covering his features. "You will pay for what you have done to her."

"I'd like to see you try."

As they began to fight, my vision started to fade. "No!" I cried out. I wasn't ready to die. I needed to help the captain. Soon, my vision was silent and empty, but I was still standing on my family's farm.

"Eloise."

I recognized the voice. I knew it too well, even though it had been years since I last heard it.

"Father!" I rushed over and fell into his open arms.

"My sweet Eloise," he said, holding me tight. "You're not supposed to die yet."

I sobbed into his chest. "I know. I know."

"What happened, my dear?"

I pulled back. "I tried so hard."

He ran a hand over my hair. "I know you did."

"Where are we?"

He gestured around. "The farm."

"I see the farm, but where are we really?"

"We are still on the farm. Those two men are still fighting around us, we just can't see them." He smiled at me.

"I can't believe you're here."

"And I can't believe _you're_ here. You shouldn't be."

I began to cry again. "I've missed you so much."

"I know. I know you have. I've always been with you, though. You have always carried a piece of me with you."

"Really?"

"Of course. You're my daughter. I loved you and you loved me. Not even death can break something as strong as love. That's how I'm here with you now."

"So you're just a piece of my imagination?"

He shrugged. "That's one way to put it. That doesn't mean I'm not really here, though. When we die, parts of us stay with the people we loved. I might not _physically_ be here, but I am here nonetheless."

"Will we stay here forever, then?"

"Oh, no, my dear. You can't stay with me. You must go back to the real world. You don't belong with me. There is still a connection that is calling you back. Don't you feel it?"

"I don't want to leave you," I said softly. "I can't go back now. I died."

He shook his head. "I don't want you to leave either, but you aren't truly gone yet. You need to find your connection to the living world. It's here at the farm."

Suddenly, he was gone and the world burst into sound.

"You can't win, Oskar!"

I jumped back as a shutter from the house flew through the air at the captain. I was shocked to see the yard torn up and littered with debris. How long had they been fighting? I looked up at the sky and found that it was nearly dusk.

I felt a new resolve. I had to find the one connection that could tie me back to the real world. I ran inside the house and found Pearl sitting in a chair, looking bored. I went from room to room, but felt nothing. I ran from the house. _It's here at the farm,_ my father had said.

I ran to the barn, but knew immediately it wasn't there. I ran back into the yard in time to see the captain fall to the ground.

I rushed to his side. I could feel his magic humming within him. "Captain? Can you hear me?"

Nikolas was advancing on him quickly.

"Captain! Captain Keller! I'm not truly dead. Please. I need to find a way back to this world. Please! I need you to hear me."

He sat up, groaning. I felt him throw up a protection barrier around himself just as Nikolas threw a wave of magic at him.

"You can't protect yourself forever, Oskar!" he yelled.

"Captain, please." I reached out and touched his arm.

He frowned and looked around.

I gasped. "Can you hear me?"

Another wave of magic hit his barrier.

"Lady Taylor?" he asked softly.

"Yes! I'm here! And I need your help, so I can help you."

He looked stunned. "What do you need?"

"Who are you talking to?!" Nikolas cried out, throwing more and more magic at his old classmate.

"I saw my father. He said I have some kind of connection to this world and that I need to find it. He said I'm not truly gone. I don't belong with the dead, Captain Keller. Please. I'm not sure what to do."

"You had a connection with the prince," he said. "Find him maybe?"

"It's not the prince. It's here on the farm. It's not in the house or the barn."

He frowned, then his face suddenly took on a determined look. He stood up and sent magic back at Nikolas. "I can win this. Give me some time."

"But-"

"Go wait in the barn, Eloise."

Something in his voice told me I needed to listen. I went back into the barn, but I couldn't watch the fight. I was too scared to watch. I retreated away from the doors and sat on a hay bale, waiting for the captain.

It was a while before the sounds of the battle between the two men were silenced. I waited a little while, hoping the captain would come get me. When he didn't after a while, I finally got up and looked out the barn door. I saw Nikolas lying lifelessly on the ground by the house. The captain was nowhere to be found.

I stepped outside. "Captain?" I called out, but got no answer. I walked over to Nikolas with the hopes of getting my magic back from him. But I felt nothing. No magic hum, no energy from within him. I felt sick. Was my magic gone? What happened to it?

Just then, the captain strode out from the house, a ball of glowing bronze energy in hand.

I rushed over to him. "My magic! Had my magic been the connection to this world? It makes sense."

He didn't seem to hear me. He walked over to my body. "Eloise, I don't know if you're still here. But I hope you know that you _are_ respected and admired here. Everyone you meet is drawn in by you." He knelt down and pressed the ball of energy against my chest. "I hope I'm not too late," he whispered.

I watched the magic melt into my chest and glow under his hands. I waited for my vision to end, but nothing happened.

I looked down at my hands and found myself beginning to fade away again. "No!" I cried out in dispair. Everything around me was silent. I saw the captain's mouth moving, but I couldn't hear his words. His face was crestfallen.

Then suddenly something started to happen. I continued to fade, but the captain and my body began to glow. The glow grew brighter and brighter until it engulfed everything around me and I couldn't see anything. Then I finally lost my hold on the real world.

* * *

 **Okay, my amazing readers, THANK YOU SO MUCH! The feedback and response I got for that last update? AMAZING! I freak out every time I get an email alert about your reviews.** I can't open them in public because I'll look like a grinning, goofy, and weird idiot.

Oh! And don't worry, I won't leave you hanging here for too long. ;) You'll find out what happens next soon!


	35. Chapter 35

I woke up to find myself back in my bed at my childhood home. It was morning again. My eyelids fluttered as I struggled to come to complete consciousness. I was sore and tired, but I felt whole again. I felt a rush of joy as I remembered what happened. My magic was back! I was alive!

"Eloise?" a groggy voice came from a chair beside the bed.

I looked over and was surprised to find the prince keeping watch over me.

"Daniel," I croaked. "What happened?"

His face broke into a wide smile. "The war is over, thanks to you. And Captain Keller, but mostly you."

I groaned. "I need water."

"Of course!" He jumped up and left the room.

Cynthia poked her head in. "Eloise! Oh, thank goodness!" She rushed to my side and burst into tears. "I had no idea where you had gone! I demanded to know and begged Trudeau to tell. She eventually cracked and we came right away."

I frowned. "We?"

She nodded and smiled. "All of us, Eloise! We all came! Rita, Juliet, even Lola, without any hesitation. They're in town healing the injured. I demanded to be near you since I don't have natural magic."

I felt my own tears begin to fall. "I love you all so much," I told her. "I am proud to call you my friends."

She laughed and gripped my hand. "We're the ones who should be proud. You practically saved the entire country single-handedly!"

Daniel returned with a cup of water. "Cynthia, let her breathe." He handed her the cup and helped me sit up. "Drink," he told me.

I took the cup from Cynthia and drank slowly. "Thank you." I smiled, noticing their hands clasped together.

"You've made your decision?"

He laughed. "I have. You were right. I should have just married her the minute I met her."

"I knew it."

Cynthia blushed. "You really don't mind?"

"How many times do I need to tell you?"

She smiled in response. He grinned at her. "I kept assuring her the same thing. She wouldn't believe it until she heard it from you one last time."

"Where's the captain?" I asked hesitantly.

"The battle wasn't totally over," Daniel said. "He went to help finish it off. I can't imagine it will take very long now that their magic user is dead and Oskar has his full magic back. I'm sure their surrender will happen soon enough."

"How long have I been out?"

"Five days."

"Five days!"

Cynthia nodded. "Yes. The worst five days of my life!"

" What happened to Pearl?"

Daniel huffed angrily. "She's on her way back to Lowendry and heavily guarded until she gets there."

"How are you feeling?" Cynthia asked.

"Better by the minute," I told her truthfully. I pressed a hand to my stomach, where Nikolas had kicked me while I was unconscious. I winced, but focused my energy to that spot and felt the pain ebb away. "Even better now," I said with a laugh.

"I still can't believe magic is real," she said, stunned. "It's still so surreal."

"I know."

Despite my reassurances and her past experience with my rapid healing, Cynthia insisted that I should spend the rest of the day in bed. When it was time for supper, she finally let me get back up and change into a dress I had left behind. She made a simple meal for Daniel, me, herself, and several soldiers stationed around the farm.

After she had taken food to the rest of the men around the farm, Cynthia sat down with us at the kitchen table to eat.

"You're a hero, Eloise," Daniel said.

I blushed. "I didn't really do anything."

"That's not what the captain said!"

"Well what did he say?" I asked.

"He said he managed to defeat Nikolas, the magic user, but that you were instrumental in taking him down first."

"That's ridiculous. I tried to fight against him, but he took my magic away. I wasn't strong enough."

He frowned. "That isn't what he said."

"He wasn't there for that."

"Tell me everything that happened."

I filled them in on exactly everything that had transpired, starting with how I had been kidnapped from the Warner home and ending with how the captain gave me my magic back.

"He left out quite a lot of information," Cynthia said when I was done.

Daniel nodded. "All he said is that you fought hard against Nikolas and how you returned his magic to him. He never said anything about how he fought against Nikolas himself or how your magic had been stolen."

"Why wouldn't he?" Cynthia asked.

"He's a very humble man. He doesn't like boasting about himself."

"Well, he's the one who should be considered the hero. He saved my life, he saved Rybeth. And after all that, he's back out there, fighting even more?" I shook my head and laughed. "He's such a Havarian."

They laughed with me.

"I never asked what happened after. How did I end up in my bed?"

"Oskar brought you in. It wasn't long after he beat Nikolas that I came with a small group of soldiers. He managed to lock up Pearl and the Lowendry soldiers until we could get them out of here. We didn't know if you would make it or not. Your breathing was shallow and your pulse was slow. We thought you were dying."

Cynthia sniffled. "I was terrified. We summoned our best healer, and the captain tried too, but nothing worked."

"But she's better now," he assured her, reaching over and patting her hand.

She smiled at him. "Yes. Thank goodness."

"Yes. I'm _much_ better now and tired of lying in bed. Can I help with clean up?"

She frowned. "Fine. No heavy lifting though!"

"Of course not," I said, giving her a wide smile.

I was washing dishes when I heard hoofbeats in the yard outside. Messengers and soldiers had been coming to and fro all day, so I thought nothing of it and continued to scrub the plates in the basin before me. I heard footsteps approach the kitchen from the parlor and I turned around to see the captain standing in the doorway. His face was covered with dirt and sweat, and his blonde hair was in a similar state. He stared at me with an unreadable expression. I wiped my hands on my apron and smiled. "You did it," I said.

He rushed over and wrapped me in a strong embrace. He held me for a moment before he managed to choke out, _"I thought you were dead,"_ in Havarian.

Once I had gotten over the shock, I returned the embrace. _"Well, I'm not."_

He pulled away and took a couple steps back. He looked unsure of what to do. He switched back to Rybethian, although his accent was still thick. "Forgive me, Lady Taylor, it's just been a very difficult couple of days… I am just..."

I shook my head. I shrugged and continued to speak in Havarian. _"There's nothing to forgive. You saved Rybeth."_

He frowned. "No, I did not save Rybeth. It was you."

I crossed my arms. "I was unconscious!" I insisted. "I hardly did anything."

He looked confused. "Do you not remember? You drained Nikolas of his magic."

"It _wasn't_ his magic."

"You act like it was nothing to you."

"I just touched him and it came to me."

"We would not be celebrating this victory without your efforts. You know that, don't you?"

I threw my hands up in the air. "I didn't actually _do_ anything, though. You did everything. You fought Nikolas, you saved me… You were the real hero. You were incredible, Captain. I saw everything. Well, almost everything."

"Lady Taylor…"

"You really don't need to call me that," I told him. "Not after what we've been through."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Can we call it a joint effort, then?"

"I'll agree to that."

He broke into a grin. "It's settled, then."

I shifted my weight and crossed my arms again. "I like seeing you smile, Captain."

He blushed and smiled even wider. "It doesn't happen often," he admitted.

"I'm glad you have a reason to smile."

He opened his mouth to speak when Daniel and Cynthia walked in.

"Oskar!" Daniel crossed the room and embraced his friend, clapping him on the back. "Our hero!"

"Congratulations on winning the battle, Captain," Cynthia said with a smile.

He smiled at them and said, "Thank you, Lady Warner, but I can't take all the credit for our victory."

"Don't be silly. Eloise told us everything you did. You are a hero, my friend." Daniel stepped back and wrapped his arm around Cynthia's waist. "We will hold a feast in honor of you and Lady Taylor!" he cried.

The captain noticed Daniel's arm. "Are you…?"

"Yes. I have asked Cynthia to marry me."

A flash of what looked like relief crossed his face and then disappeared. He bowed deeply. "I am very happy for you both. Lady Warner, you will make an excellent queen."

I watched them with a happy smile. "Captain, are you hungry? Cynthia made a delicious dinner. We have some leftovers."

He looked at me and nodded. "Yes, please. Thank you, Lady Taylor."

Daniel walked over, clapped him on the back again, and said, "Oskar, come outside with me and wash your face. There's a bucket of clean water here."

I busied myself with making a plate for him while Cynthia left to strip my bed of the dirty sheets.

The captain returned shortly after and leaned against the wall. I set his plate on the table and said, "Here you go."

He didn't move right away. Instead, he watched me with a soft gaze and slight smile.

"What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious. "Do I have something on my face?" I wiped my hands across my nose and cheeks.

He shook his head. _"No. You don't have anything on your face."_

I blushed. _"What is it?"_

He pushed himself off of the wall and walked over confidently. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my lips. _"Eloise, I love you."_

I blinked and lowered myself into the closest chair. "What?"

He suddenly looked less assured of himself. "I know you probably don't feel the same way. I haven't treated you fairly or kindly. I'm sure you'd rather not have to see me again, but I had to tell you how I feel. I've felt a connection to you for months now, but I didn't know what it was until a few days ago. When you let go of your magical barriers, I felt a spark. A connection to you that I have never felt before with anyone." His voice grew strained with emotion and he switched back to Havarian. _"When I arrived here yesterday and found you lying unconscious, with Nikolas crowing about how he killed you and stole your magic, I thought I was going to die of sorrow. Not only did I think you were dead, but I thought you had died before I could tell you how I felt. I love you, Lady Eloise Taylor."_

I clapped a hand over my mouth. I couldn't speak.

He stood there for a moment looking crestfallen. _"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'll leave you alone."_ He turned and began to walk away.

I jumped up and grabbed his hand. "No."

He looked at me with confusion. "No?"

" _You are the reason why I did not die that day."_

He frowned. _"I don't…"_

"I saw my father while you fought that horrible man. He said when we die, a piece of us is left in every person who either loved us or we loved, which was why I was seeing him. I _was_ dying, but it wasn't my time. He told me that there was still a chance, that I still had a connection to life. At first, I thought my _magic_ was the connection to this world, but it wasn't. It was _you_ , Oskar."

He brightened at the sound of his name on my lips. "What are you saying exactly?"

"I'm saying that because you loved me, and I loved you, I didn't die that day."

He looked as though he didn't believe his own ears. He smiled hesitantly. "You… You love me?"

I nodded, tears falling down my cheeks. "Yes. When I took your magic from that awful man, I could feel its goodness and warmth. I could tell that it never belonged to him. When I returned it to you, for a moment it felt as though we were one person. I felt all of your kindness and strength, your gentleness and passion. In that instant, I knew I loved you. When I woke up this morning, I was disappointed to see Daniel instead of you. I've been waiting all day for you to show up."

He cupped my face with his hands and kissed me deeply. I wrapped my arms around his waist and returned the kiss with fervor. We broke apart and I laughed through happy tears. "Captain Oskar Keller, I love you so very much." I leaned in to kiss him once more.

" _You have no idea how relieved I felt to walk in and see you looking healthy and washing dishes."_ He rested his forehead against mine. _"I thought you would still be unconscious or dead."_

" _You have no idea how relieved I was to see you standing unharmed in that doorway, covered in dirt and sweat."_

He let out a strangled laugh. _"Oh, Eloise."_

"Ahem."

We jumped apart, startled by Cynthia's sudden appearance. She looked at me with confusion. "Since when do you speak fluent Havarian?"

I exchanged a glance with Oskar and laughed. "My whole life."

"Eloise Taylor, I am _tired_ of these secrets between us," she teased.

I let out a choked laugh through my tears."No more secrets, I promise."

She shook her head and smiled. "I'll just take these outside," she said, holding up the bundle of bedding in her arms. "Don't mind me."

Once she was out of the room, I gestured to the plate on the table. "You need to eat."

" _I'm not hungry,"_ he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. However, the grumble in his stomach said otherwise.

" _Yes, you are."_ I pulled away and he sat down begrudgingly and ate his food.

Daniel strode in. "Eloise, Cynthia wants you outside for a moment."

I didn't want to go outside. I wanted to stay inside at the table with Oskar, but instead I nodded. "I'll be right back."

I headed outside where Cynthia was soaking laundry in a large wash tub. "You wanted me?" I asked.

"Yes, I did." She placed her hands on her hips and looked around. "I don't think the soldiers like seeing their future queen working. They've been offering to do every single chore I've done all day."

"You're going to be an amazing queen."

"When did you fall in love with the captain?" she asked.

I blushed. "Five days ago. But nothing happened until today!"

"Good. Because if that had been _another_ secret, I would have been very disappointed in our friendship."

"I'm sorry, Cynthia."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, really. I didn't realize there was so much going on with you, that's all. I hope we can be more open and honest with each other from now on, though." She raised an eyebrow pointedly at me.

I nodded. "Of course!"

"How do you know Havarian? I thought you were awful at it!"

I laughed. "My grandmother was from Havaria. We spoke a lot of Havarian when I was a child."

"Why did you pretend you didn't know it?"

I shrugged. "Havarians aren't thought of very highly. They're not popular. Besides, I didn't think we'd learn it that early! Then I didn't want to have to tutor everyone..."

"You're a teacher!"

"I know! And when we first started, people still thought I was a spy!"

"I suppose I understand."

I smiled. "Tell me how everything happened between you and Daniel!"

She blushed and grinned. "Oh, it wasn't really much."

"Come on!"

"It was just last night. We were up late watching over you. I was really upset. Daniel was really upset too. We thought you were dying and neither of us got to say goodbye!" She began to tear up. "I thought Daniel was upset because he loved you, which made me even more upset. I excused myself at one point because I began to cry _again_ , and he followed me to the parlor. He asked me what was wrong. I told him I was just worried about you. He said he was worried too… I was so upset that I finally just asked if he loved you. He said he loved you like a sister, a friend. He said he loved someone else." She blushed and smiled. "And then he kissed me. I thought I was going to die of happiness. He asked me to marry him, right then and there."

"Yet you still were worried I would be upset?"

She laughed. "Of course I did! I mean, I knew he loved me, but I still didn't truly know if you loved him or not."

I wrapped my arms around her in a tight embrace. "You are such a dear friend. I am so glad we met."

She smiled. "I am too. Now go back inside and spend some time with the captain."

We separated and I made my way back to the kitchen. Once inside, Daniel surprised me by wrapping me in an embrace of his own.

"I am so happy!" he exclaimed.

I laughed and I heard Oskar say, "Come on, Daniel. Leave her alone."

"I can't help it! My two dear friends have found love and I am in love... and everything is wonderful!"

He released me and I smiled at them. "You told him, then?" I asked Oskar.

"Very reluctantly," he said with an eyeroll.

"I knew something was different," Daniel said, smiling. "He was acting so… _happy_."

I sat down at the table and entwined my fingers with Oskar's. "He makes me happy, too."

* * *

 **No cliffhanger this time! Happy end to this chapter! It's not the end of the story, though! Can't wait to hear from you! Thanks y'all!**


	36. Chapter 36

We remained at the farm for several more days. There was a lot to be cleaned up and taken care of in the area, and the region's inhabitants were beginning to return home.

I was helping heal the remaining injured and ill in town when Cynthia came running in.

"Eloise! Eloise, where are you?"

I waved at her with my free hand from the bedside of a young man who had been severely wounded at the last battle. He had been partially healed by the other girls, but because of the wound's severity, he needed several days' worth of magic before he could fully heal. I focused on the skin beneath my other hand and felt the healing begin. It was nearly completely healed and it only took a moment before the skin was completely closed and all infection gone.

I smiled at him. "Thank you for your service to Rybeth," I told him softly.

"Thank you, Lady Taylor. You're a hero to us all."

I left his side and found Cynthia. Before I could say a word, however, another young soldier spoke up.

"Miss Taylor? Is that you?"

I looked over and saw Patrick Moore, my former student, lying on a bed. He looked much older than when I last saw him just over a year ago.

"Patrick Moore! It's wonderful to see you, although I wish it were under better circumstances. You were injured in battle?"

He winced. "Yes. I couldn't let those Lowendry soldiers get to our farm. I had to protect it."

I knelt beside his bed. "What happened?"

"I was at the front when I was shot. I was wounded in several places."

"May I?" I asked.

"Go ahead. I'm not healing very well for some reason. They can't figure it out."

I pulled back the blanket covering his chest and winced at the sight. He was bandaged across his abdomen, chest, and on his left shoulder. "Several places indeed." I unwrapped his shoulder and immediately felt sick.

"I know why you aren't healing. The bullets that hit you carried magic."

He frowned at me. "Bullets can carry magic?"

"Yes." I felt the energy radiating from his wound. "Did they remove the bullets?"

Juliet appeared by my side. "Yes, we removed all bullets. His wounds are fairly shallow, but they just won't respond to us."

"Are any other men like this?"

"Not many, but there's enough. We've lost several already."

I nodded. "Send for Captain Keller, please. He's the only other person I can think of who can help me with this kind of magic."

"Right away, Eloise." She rushed off.

I held my hand over the wound and pressed down. I closed my eyes and focused on the hum of energy beneath my hand. I pulled at it with my own magic. I pulled my hand away and opened my eyes to see a small pool of dark green magical energy glowing in my hand.

I heard Rita's voice. "How did you do that?"

I looked up. "I felt the energy and pulled it out from his wound. He should heal much better now."

She knelt down on the opposite side of the bed. "May I try? I felt that energy too, but I had no idea what to do about it."

"I'd be happy to let you try, but I don't know what to do with this." I held up the energy in my hand. "I should have waited. I don't know how to get rid of it. Captain Keller will know."

As if on cue, Juliet rushed over. "He just arrived. He had already been on his way."

"Oh, thank goodness."

It wasn't long before Oskar was standing beside me. "You need to burn it."

"How do we do that?" Rita asked.

He nodded at her in acknowledgment. "With your own magic."

I turned my focus to the magic in my hand. I summoned my own magic and suddenly the dark green magic burst into a small flame and sizzled away, leaving my hand empty and unscarred. I smiled. "That was easy enough."

Rita and I unwrapped his other wounds and Oskar left to begin working on other wounded soldiers. Juliet and Lola, who came over after finishing with another soldier, tried to remove the magic without results.

"Don't stress about it. Everyone's magic is different. You can work on healing the wounds after the magic has been removed. They will need extra attention to make sure no infection starts and worsens the wounds."

Rita successfully pulled the magic from one of Patrick's wounds and quickly made her way around the room. She was incredibly adept at healing magic. She was able to accomplish it twice as fast as the captain and just slightly faster than me.

Cynthia waited by the door patiently for me until I was finished. I finally made my way over and greeted her warmly. She looked like she was ready to burst. "Your mother is back at the farm!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"She is?" I felt tears suddenly appear in my eyes. I hadn't realized how badly I needed her. "Oh thank goodness. I need to go there now."

As I was about to leave, Oskar appeared at my side. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"My mother is back home! I'm heading back to the farm now. Why, am I needed here?"

He shook his head. "No, I just…"

"Come and meet her, Captain," Cynthia suggested. "She is the kindest woman I know."

"Yes, Oskar. You need to meet my mother."

He shifted his weight. "Will she…" He trailed off.

"Will she what?"

He pressed his lips together. "Will she like me?" he asked quickly.

I laughed. "Without a doubt." I offered my hand. "Come with me, please."

He grasped my hand and followed me out the door.

Walter was just outside, about to come in. "Cynthia! Mother and Father have returned. Our brothers aren't far behind. Mother is very concerned about your well-being, and if you're queen yet." He laughed.

"It looks like I won't be joining you," Cynthia said with a smile. "I need to see my own family. I will see you soon!"

She rushed off with Walter and left Oskar and I alone.

He looked at me nervously. "Can we not tell her about…"

"You don't want to tell her about us yet?" I asked. "Why?"

"I don't want to overwhelm her. She doesn't know me. I would like to make sure she approves of me first."

I nodded. "If that's what you want. If she asks, I will not lie to her though."

"Of course. I wouldn't ask that of you."

We walked back to the farm from town in comfortable silence. Our hands remained intertwined until we reached the end of the lane.

"You look just like her," he said as we approached the house, where we found her waiting outside the door.

"Mother!" I cried, running to her side and wrapping my arms around her. "I was so scared when they told me the battle was nearing Ravendale."

She rubbed my back. "Thankfully we were evacuated in time. A very nice family let me stay with them."

"I'm so glad you're alright."

She held me back at arms length. "I'm glad you are! I can't believe you were here during the fight! Why on earth were you in a dangerous war zone, anyway?"

The captain came up and said, "Your daughter is a hero to Rybeth, Mrs. Taylor."

She looked over at him. "Is that so, Mr…?"

"Mother, this is Captain Keller. Captain Keller, my mother Mrs. Anna Taylor."

He nodded solemnly. "And yes, absolutely. She saved my life and all of Rybeth."

I waved a hand at him. "Oh, he's exaggerating. He was the one who did the most work."

She shook her head. "I'm not sure I want details. Come, Eloise, let's have a cup of tea. Captain, would you care to join us?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, thank you."

Once we were settled with our tea in the parlor, Mother asked, "How is Cynthia?"

I grinned. "She's doing very well."

She raised an eyebrow as she sipped her tea. "What are you not telling me?"

"She's going to be our future queen."

She gasped and nearly dropped her teacup. "Is that so? Oh, how lovely for her! But how do you feel about it?"

I felt Oskar's gaze on me, and I just laughed. "Oh, it's fine. I never loved the prince. They love each other and she will make an incredible queen."

"She most definitely will," she agreed. "So what does this mean for you, then? You were supposed to have almost another full year."

I sighed. "I don't really know. Nobody has said anything about it yet."

"Well, no matter what happens, I'm proud of everything you've accomplished."

"Thank you, Mother. I definitely didn't expect to be where I am a year and a half ago."

She smiled. "I didn't either!" She turned to the captain. "Forgive me, we've completely ignored you. Tell me a little about yourself, Captain."

He cleared his throat. "There really isn't much to tell, ma'am. I'm a captain with the Royal Guard."

"He's being modest," I said. "He is a Royal Scholar and was one of the instructors at the Celestial Palace. Now he's a war hero."

"Your accent," she commented, "is it Havarian?"

"Yes, I'm originally from Havaria."

"His grandmother was Anya Keller," I told her.

She lit up. "Oh, of course! Eloise mentioned your name before. Did she tell you my mother was a close friend of your grandmother's?"

"She briefly mentioned they were friends."

"I'm actually named after your grandmother in a way."

He cracked a smile. "She was a wonderful woman. Who was your mother?"

"Lenora Hummel."

His eyes went wide. "Your mother was a Hummel?"

She nodded. "Yes. You know the family?"

"They're still very close to my family in Havaria."

She sighed wistfully. "I wish I knew more about my mother's family. She never spoke much about them, except for her good friend Anya. They wrote each other until their deaths. I believe they passed away within days of each other."

Later on, Oskar left to go help with the continued clean up around the town and my mother and I worked around the farm to finish the few jobs the soldiers hadn't done for us.

"I thought you didn't like the captain much," she commented as we cleaned up the small vegetable garden. "I believe the word you used was… oh, that's right. 'Abrasive.'"

I hid my face and busied myself in the dirt. "You were right. Apparently the Kellers take some getting used to. I judged him too soon, I suppose. He was an excellent instructor."

"I think he likes you," she commented casually.

I tried not to react too much. "Why do you say that?"

"The way he looked at you. He seems fond of you."

"I was an excellent student," I offered. "That's probably why."

"Hmm." She continued working beside me, seemingly unaffected by our conversation.

"Speaking of," she said brightly, looking up.

I looked up to see Oskar approaching. "Lady Taylor, Mrs. Taylor. I was asked to tell you that Lady Warner and His Highness Prince Daniel are on their way."

I stood up. "Thank you, Captain. Mother, I'm going to change and wash up."

"I'll be in shortly," she said.

I was about to go back outside when my mother finally came in, looking frazzled. "If they arrive before I'm ready, please keep them occupied outside until I come out." She beamed. "I can't believe the prince is coming here to our farm!"

I laughed. "He's been here before today, Mother."

She paled. "He has?!"

"I'll tell you more later. Go get ready."

I stepped outside to find Oskar pacing. I walked over and placed a hand on his arm. "Oskar?"

He ran a hand over his hair. "It's nothing." He smiled at me reassuringly. "I'm just nervous being around your mother."

"You are?" I laughed softly. "Why?"

"Because I'm in love with you, Eloise, and she's your mother?"

I was about to ask more when a messenger came riding in. "Captain Keller, an urgent letter for you." He reached down with a letter in hand.

Oskar frowned and took the message from his outstretched hand. "Thank you."

The man nodded and rode off once again.

"Urgent? What is it?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know. I'm sure it's nothing." He pocketed the letter, but I wasn't convinced. "I'm going to head back to town. I'll come back later." He squeezed my hand briefly and began walking back to town.

I went back inside and found my mother dressed and fussing with her hair in the parlor. "Do I look nice enough to receive the prince?"

I smiled. "You look lovely, Mother."

She looked relieved. "Did the captain leave?" she asked.

"He got an urgent letter and went to town."

"Urgent? What was it about?"

"I don't know. He didn't open it."

She sat down and smiled broadly. "Do you love him?"

My eyes went wide. "Why do you ask?"

"Eloise." She raised an eyebrow knowingly.

I sat down in another chair. "Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you…"

"Don't be. The captain explained he didn't want you to say anything immediately."

I gasped. "He did? He talked to you?"

"He loves you very much, my dear."

I nodded.

"He asked for my blessing."

I gaped at her. "He what?"

"He wants to marry you." She tilted her head in confusion. "I thought you loved him back. Don't you want to marry him?"

I began to tear up. "Of course I do! I just didn't expect a proposal so soon."

She smiled in relief. "Oh, good. I was afraid I gave my blessing when you didn't actually want to marry the man!"

"You did?"

"Of course I did. He seems like a good man."

My heart soared with joy. "He is."

Later, Daniel and Cynthia arrived and stayed for dinner. Thankfully, mother calmed down enough to enjoy their company. We sat outside after we ate and watched the sunset.

"Cynthia, could you help me in the kitchen?" I asked.

"I can help you, dear," Mother said.

"Oh, no, Mother. Please enjoy the evening. We won't be long."

Once in the kitchen, I took a deep breath. "Cynthia, the captain asked my mother for her blessing!"

She squealed in excitement. "Really? Oh, how wonderful!"

I pressed my lips together and nodded. "I know! It's almost overwhelming. This week has been unbelievable."

She laughed. "I know what you mean!"

Just then, we heard hoofbeats outside. We went back out and saw Oskar dismounting from a large horse. I smiled and went to greet him, but I realized he looked upset.

"Oskar, what's wrong?" Daniel asked. He stood up and walked over to see his friend.

He made eye contact with me and said softly, "My father died."

* * *

 **I meant to update sooner than today, but my laptop is junk and wouldn't properly connect to my wifi. Ugh! Whatever. Anyway, keep watch out for the next chapter coming soon!**


	37. Chapter 37

"The poor man," Mother said as we watched Oskar work in her garden the next morning. He wanted to be left alone, and it made me hurt for him.

"I know. He hadn't been home in years. I can't imagine how he's feeling."

"Is he going to go back to Havaria at all? He won't be able to get back in time for the funeral."

I shook my head. "I don't know. He hasn't said anything to me yet."

Daniel came back later in the morning and spoke with Oskar by the barn. Oskar looked angry and agitated as they spoke. They finally finished speaking and rode back to town without saying goodbye.

I didn't see him or Daniel again for several more days. I was frustrated with him, but tried to remember how _he_ must be feeling. Cynthia visited often, with little to no new information for me most of the time.

One day she came into the kitchen looking concerned.

"What's wrong, Cynthia?"

She sighed. "The troops are finished with clean up, so there's nothing left here for Daniel to do. We'll be leaving later this evening for the Celestial Palace. The king left days ago, and he's been wanting Daniel back."

I nodded. "I was wondering when you'd leave. I don't know what I'll do."

"Lola, Rita, and Juliet are all returning to the palace too. The royal family has agreed to keep everyone for another year if they want. You're welcome to come back with us too."

I felt torn. I didn't know what to do.

"You can stay here until you decide," she offered. "Just write to me and I can arrange a carriage for you."

"Thank you."

"Do you want to come back to town with me and spend some more time with us before we leave?"

"Yes, I think I'd like that."

I told my mother goodbye and walked back to town with Cynthia.

"It feels just like old times," I told her with a smile.

She grinned back. "Yes, it definitely does."

"I can't believe you'll be a princess soon!"

"I know! It's so strange to think about. People will start calling me 'Your Highness.' I don't know what to think!" She laughed. "My mother was _overjoyed_ about it, as you can imagine."

"I forgot to ask about her reaction," I said. "I figured she would be pleased."

When we arrived in town, we made our way to her parents' house, where our friends were staying. We walked in and I was immediately bombarded by Juliet, Lola, and Rita.

"Are you coming back to the palace with us, Eloise?" Lola asked excitedly.

"Of course she is!" Juliet said. "Why wouldn't she?"

"Let her answer for herself, Juliet!" Rita smiled at me. "Have you made a decision?"

"Not yet."

"What else would you do?" Juliet asked.

"I don't know. That's why I haven't made a decision."

Cynthia wrapped an arm around me. "Give her some space, girls."

We sat down in their sitting room and I listened to the other girls talk about their time in the makeshift hospital. They were so excited to be useful and have talents of worth. They talked about how they wanted to create hospitals across the country and begin schools for healers. I felt proud to call them my friends.

Cynthia's mother invited me to stay for lunch. Cynthia had warned me that her mother would probably try to pair me with Walter again, this time because I was higher ranking and more respected. She wanted the best for her son, after all. My friend's suspicions were confirmed when Mrs. Warner boasted about Walter's role in the war efforts for the whole meal.

After we ate, we all took a walk to visit some shops in town. As we left the milliner's shop, I heard a voice call out to me.

"Lady Taylor!"

I looked around and saw Oskar approaching from across the street.

"Go ahead, I'll catch up," I told Cynthia.

"Captain," I said, unsure of what to say to him.

He offered his arm. "Walk with me?"

I nodded and placed my hand in the crook of his arm. We strolled down the street silently until we found ourselves in the town square where the Festival of Opportunity was held.

We sat down on the edge of the fountain. I waited for him to speak first, but he remained silent.

"This was where we first met," I reminded him, gesturing to the square around us.

"I remember."

"It seems so long ago."

"It does," he agreed.

We fell silent again. I waited for him to say something, anything, but he didn't seem interested in talking.

"I'm sorry about your father," I finally offered.

"Thank you."

"Were you close?"

"Not really."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. That's just how he was." He cleared his throat. "I've been wanting to put this off, but I'm afraid I can't anymore…"

I waited for him to continue. Something told me that he wasn't about to ask me to marry him. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what he had to say.

"I have to go back to Havaria. I was the only son. I need to take over for my father."

His words hit me hard. I blinked back tears. Something in his voice worried me. "Will you be returning?"

He didn't answer right away. When he did, his voice was strangled with emotion. _"No,"_ he said in Havarian, _"I won't be coming back."_

My lip trembled. I couldn't speak. He was leaving for good? I looked over at him, hoping for him to ask me to join him. He loved me, didn't he? Surely he would want me with him.

He cleared his throat. _"I'm sorry, Eloise."_ He stood up abruptly and began to walk away.

"Oskar?" I called after him, confused.

He paused a few steps away, his back still facing me.

" _I'm sorry, Eloise,"_ he repeated. _"Perhaps we'll meet again."_ Then he walked off and out of sight.

I watched his retreating figure. I felt like I had been kicked in the chest. I had a thousand questions. Did he not love me anymore? Did he not want to marry me after all? I didn't understand why he didn't ask me to go with him. Was he embarrassed by me? Perhaps he didn't want to marry a farm girl after all.

I suddenly realized I knew nothing of him or his family. All I knew is that his grandmother was a lesser-known poet from the same region as my grandmother. His family had to be somewhat well-off, though, if he had been able to study in Rybeth at the Royal University.

I sat on the fountain's edge for a long time, numb from the news. Cynthia and the other girls found me later on. When it was obvious that something occurred, she sent the other three back to the house and waited for me to speak. I reluctantly told Cynthia what happened through my tears.

"Oh, Eloise. I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around me. "I can't believe he would be so unkind about it. Come with me, I'll walk you back to the farm."

At the farm, I told her goodbye. I couldn't possibly return to the palace now. She nodded knowingly and bade me farewell tearfully.

"We'll write," she promised. "All of us."

When she left, the farm felt empty and foreign. It was just me and my mother again. No soldiers worked outside, nobody sat working in the kitchen.

Mother didn't understand what had happened with the captain either, and she comforted me through our confusion.

Weeks passed and I didn't hear from the captain. I had hoped for an explanation, a farewell letter, but nothing came. Not even a note from Daniel, explaining his friend's behavior. Cynthia had my things from the palace sent back to the farm after I insisted I wouldn't be returning. She also sent word that Oskar was well on his way to Havaria.

I inquired about returning back to the school to teach, but they had replaced me with a permanent teacher and didn't need me after all. I felt strangely relieved when my inquiry was rejected.

It wasn't long before my mother finally married Mr. Towne, a jolly man. She moved off the farm to his home in Wadswell. Mr. Towne graciously offered to let me move into his home with my mother. I declined and chose to stay on my farm and help my cousins with the harvest instead. I poured myself into the physical labor of the harvest, distracting myself from the lingering pain of Oskar's sudden departure.

The air turned cold and chilly, and soon I was faced with the realization that I would be spending an entire winter alone.

I was outside chopping wood one sunny, yet cold, afternoon. My muscles had grown soft while I lived at the palace, making it a little more difficult of a task. The exertion kept me warm. I had just picked up my axe again when a man rode in on a small black horse. I shielded my eyes from the sun and was surprised to see Patrick Moore approaching.

"Miss Taylor," he said, smiling.

"Mr. Moore, what a surprise." I set my axe back down and wiped my hands on my apron. I wrapped my shawl tighter around me as he dismounted from his horse. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

He removed his hat and cleared his throat. "I was surprised to hear you remained behind," he said. "I thought for sure you would have gone back to the palace."

"Well, here I am," I said.

He straightened his posture and said, "Look, I'll just get to the point. I know I'm a little younger than you, but I was wondering… That is… perhaps you'd do me the honor of marrying me? You're alone here on this farm, and I'm running my father's farm…" He trailed off, looking embarrassed.

I smiled. "Oh, Patrick, that's so kind of you to ask. I'm sorry, but I can't marry you. You're a kind young man, and I'm honored that you want to marry me, but I can't."

He nodded, not particularly bothered by my response. "I understand. I didn't actually think you'd say yes. I just thought, with winter coming… I thought you might need someone."

"I know. Thank you, Patrick."

"Please let me know if I can help you at all this winter," he said.

He rode off and I felt a strange ache in my chest. I shook my head in the hopes I could get rid of the feeling and returned to my chopping.

The winter wasn't so bad. It was a mild winter, and I was able to distract myself with letters to my mother, Cynthia, my friends at the Celestial Palace, and even Tess, who was already happily married.

As winter died down and turned to spring, I was excited to find out that Cynthia and Daniel had chosen a wedding date. Cynthia asked me to join her at the Celestial palace for a couple months before the wedding. My cousins agreed to take care of the house and my farm chores while I was gone.

When I arrived at the palace, I was greeted by a surprisingly cheerful Madame Trudeau. She took me to my old rooms, where Cynthia, Rita, Lola, and Juliet were waiting.

"Eloise!"

I wasn't sure who had said my name, because they all rushed at me at once and wrapped me in a giant embrace.

"I missed you too!" I said with a laugh.

"If you need anything," I heard Madame Trudeau say over the squeals and happy tears, "don't hesitate to call for a maid!" Then she shut the door and I was alone with my friends.

Juliet's face was covered in tears. "I missed you so much! I can't believe you spent the winter alone… on a farm!"

"Feel her hands!" Rita exclaimed. "You really are a farm girl!"

Cynthia rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm so glad you came."

"I wouldn't miss your wedding for the world, my dear friend!"

"I know that, but you didn't _have_ to come this early, either."

I smiled. "It really was a lonely winter."

"Remember how I told you about that _very_ handsome duke?" Juliet grinned.

"Yes!"

She squealed excitedly. "He asked me to marry him!"

I wrapped my arms around her. "Congratulations, Juliet! I'm so happy for you!"

"Rita found someone too. He hasn't proposed, but he will _any day_."

Rita blushed. "Oh, quiet, Juliet. You don't know that."

"Don't worry, Eloise," Lola chimed in. "I'm not getting married any time soon."

I laughed. "Thank you, Lola. I appreciate that."

After dinner, I was finally alone again in my rooms. I sat down in a sitting chair and sighed. I smiled happily. Everything was exactly the same, from the vase on the desk to the hundreds of books on the shelves. I was startled to realize that I felt at home, as if my soul had been waiting for me to return. I felt comfortable and able to relax, but not just because I no longer had chores to do.

"I wonder…"

I got up and went to the bookshelf. I pulled out a large book and was ecstatic to find the key to the Celestial Library still hidden where I had left it months ago. I hadn't used my magic hardly at all since the battle, and I was curious to see what new information I could find. I made my way through the halls and passages with ease, as though I had never left in the first place.

When I arrived at the door, I stopped myself before inserting the key. Suddenly the loss of Oskar hit me hard once again. I took a step back, examining the door from top to bottom. It had been over six months since I last entered the room, and that last time had been with Oskar.

I felt my face burn with emotion and tears began to fall. I quickly turned away and returned to my rooms.

The next month went by wonderfully. I joined my friends for their morning lessons and walked the gardens with them in the afternoons. Cynthia insisted that I needed a new gown for the wedding, so I had several fittings during that first month also. Daniel and his family returned to the palace to help oversee preparations.

Every night I gazed at the key that now sat openly on the nightstand. Sometimes I'd sit on the edge of my bed and play with it in the palm of my hand, but I never could build up the courage to go back.

Three weeks before the wedding, guests began arriving at the palace. Royals from neighboring countries came, although Lowendry was appropriately absent. Daniel asked me if I would help him and Cynthia greet the Havarian royalty since I spoke Havarian so fluently.

The Havarian king and his mother arrived suddenly with little notice one afternoon. I quickly changed into my best gown and rushed to stand with Daniel, Cynthia, and Daniel's family.

"The king isn't married?" I asked Daniel as their elegant carriage rolled over the hill and toward us.

He shook his head. "No. I'm actually surprised they came. He originally said they wouldn't be coming. They are technically still in mourning."

"Really? Did his wife pass?"

"No."

The carriage came to a stop and Daniel stepped forward with a bright smile. Their footman stepped off the carriage and opened the door.

As the king's mother stepped down, a footman announced their arrival to the small crowd gathered. "The Dowager Queen of Havaria and His Majesty, the King of Havaria." The queen was a very petite woman dressed in black, with a stern face and white hair. She eyed the scene around her with a raised eyebrow. We curtseyed to her and then she moved aside for her son to exit.

When the king of Havaria stepped down from the carriage, I felt my heart stop. The courtyard spun. I thought I was going to be sick.

Cynthia grabbed my hand discreetly and squeezed it.

The Havarian king looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"Oskar, my friend!" Daniel stepped forward and clasped the king's hand.

I could have turned and run off. They could have made excuses for me, said I ate some bad fish or had woken up with a fever. Instead, I stood my ground and let my cheeks burn with anger at Daniel. He had known what he was doing when he asked me to greet them. He didn't want my help, he wanted me to see Oskar, and he didn't bother warning me.

I didn't pay attention to what was said. Thankfully, I wasn't expected to actually interact with the Havarians. We didn't stay out there long and I was free to return to my room once Daniel, his family, and the Havarian royalty were inside.

Cynthia followed me to my room.

"Eloise, wait!" I stopped at my door and looked back at her with tears in my eyes. She looked concerned. "Please, believe me when I tell you that I had no idea-"

"I know."

She scrunched up her face in frustration. "I can't believe Daniel didn't tell me. Why would he _do_ that?"

"I don't really care why. I just want to know how to best avoid him without being rude. Can you find out how to make that possible?"

She nodded. "I'm so sorry, Eloise. At least you know why he _had_ to leave now?"

"Again, I don't really care why. I don't care about any of this. I just don't want to be around him at all."

* * *

 **Hey! Sorry it's been a *little* while since my last update. Thanks for being so patient!**

 **Also, please don't hate me. Another update will come shortly! Only a couple more chapters to go. :(**


	38. Chapter 38

My wish to not be around Oskar was apparently unrealistic. All of us, including Lola, Rita, and Juliet, had dinner with the Havarians that night. Thankfully my friends were able to rearrange the seating so that I was the farthest from both Oskar _and_ Daniel as possible.

We were warned to not talk about his time at the Celestial Palace in front of his mother. I busied myself with talking to Daniel's mother and Rita, who made for excellent company. I managed to successfully deflect any attention from the Havarians and I retreated to my room after dinner was over, where Rita, Juliet, and Lola joined me.

"I can't believe Captain Keller is a king!"

Lola groaned. "What a horrible thing to do."

"Be a king?" Juliet asked jokingly.

"After lying to Eloise and telling her that he loved her? Absolutely."

"I really don't want to talk about him anymore," I groaned, leaning back in my chair.

Rita nodded. "That's fine, but we need to come up with a plan."

"A plan?"

She nodded. "In case he tries contacting you or something. In case he tries dancing with you at the wedding ball."

"We'll simply never leave her side," Lola said with determination.

They stayed true to their word. One of them was always with me, from the minute we woke up until we all went to sleep. We didn't have to have another meal with the Havarians, thankfully, and I went two weeks without even a glimpse of Oskar.

We had all gathered in my room one night, gossiping and eating little sweets that the maids had snuck into my room during dinner. Cynthia had joined us, eager to get away from the hectic energy of wedding planning. We were laughing at a joke Rita had told when someone knocked at the door.

"Eloise, go in there. I'll see who it is."

I listened to Cynthia and hid in my bedroom while she checked to see who was knocking. I stayed by the door and listened.

"Lady Warner," I heard Oskar say in surprise.

"What do you want?"

He cleared his throat. "I need to talk to Lady Taylor."

"No, you don't. She doesn't owe you anything."

"You're right, she doesn't, but I do owe her an explanation."

She sighed. "It doesn't matter anymore, _sir_. I would please ask you to leave. It's highly inappropriate of you to be here."

I cracked open the door just enough to see Oskar. He looked fairly distraught.

"Please, Lady Warner. I just want to see her."

She shook her head. "No. She doesn't want to see you." She began to close the door on him, but he pushed back against it.

"Can I at least leave her a note?"

She huffed. "If you really need to write a note to make yourself feel better, go ahead. But give it to Daniel. He will give it to me and I will give it to her. I can't guarantee she'll read it. Now _leave_."

He nodded and then looked up, managing to catch my eye for a moment. I expected him to try and talk to me, but instead he walked off.

The next day, Cynthia handed me a letter. "You don't have to read it, you know."

I nodded. "I know. I think I need to be alone."

"Let me know if you need something. We're here for you."

I went to my room and paced around with the unopened letter in hand. I was afraid to open it.

I let it sit on my bedside table for the rest of the day. That night after dinner, I asked my friends for time by myself. They respected my request and I was left alone with the letter and my thoughts. I sat down on my bed and picked it up hesitantly. I turned it over in my hand. Then I looked over and saw the key to the Celestial Library.

I changed into more inconspicuous clothes and left my room with the key and letter in hand. This time, when I got to the library door, I didn't hesitate. I turned the key in the lock and stepped inside.

When I walked in, I knew I had made a mistake. The room had clearly been used since the last time I was here. Papers and half-spent candles littered the desks and tables.

I turned to leave, but it was too late.

Oskar stood in the doorway, looking as shocked as I felt.

Neither of us spoke right away. We just stared at each other. He almost looked ill. He had dark shadows under his eyes and was thinner than I remembered. He looked like he had aged five years at least.

"I'm sorry," he finally said and turned around to leave.

I found myself reaching out for him. He felt my unintended magic use, stopped, and turned to look at me.

"What you did was unforgivable. How could you leave me like that?" I asked.

His face crumpled. "I know. It was awful. I'm so sorry."

I sat down in a chair. "We might as well get it over with. I can't keep ignoring you until you leave."

He nodded and stepped back inside, shutting the door behind him. He took a seat in a chair across the room.

I held up the letter. "I haven't read it yet. What does it say?"

He flushed red. "I apologize a lot in it."

"For what, exactly?"

"For everything. For leaving without giving you an explanation or goodbye. For how you found out."

"Why did you leave me? You told me that you loved me. You asked my mother for her blessing. Then your father died and you just _left_ days later."

He winced. "I hated the thought of taking you away from your family and friends. My family isn't loving and nurturing, not like yours, anyway. They're very pragmatic and methodical. You would have resented me for taking you from your home and into that environment."

A couple tears fell from my eyes. "You don't know that."

He frowned and looked at his hands. "I know. There's no excuse for what I did to you. The best I can offer is that I was grieving my father. I wasn't thinking clearly. Please, forgive me for my mistakes."

I stood up. "No. I can't forgive you. I don't think I could ever forgive you. " Being near him was more difficult than I thought. "Do you still love me?" I wasn't sure why I asked. I just wanted to leave.

He nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but got choked up. He cleared his throat and said in Havarian, _"Very much so."_

I felt a sob escape my chest. "You hurt me."

"I know," he said, his own tears falling.

"I was still alone, you know. I spent the entire autumn and winter alone. It would have been better if I resented you for trying, don't you think, than letting me resent you for abandoning me? I would have had _you,_ at least. Instead, I had no one."

He pressed his lips together, trying to keep his falling tears at bay. "I know that now. I'm so sorry."

"I have to go," I said, rushing from the room.

When I reached my room again, I did my best to not break down. I placed the key back on the bookshelf and put the letter inside my desk.

The next two weeks went by quickly and soon the wedding day had arrived.

Lola, Rita, Juliet, and I had woken early to get ourselves ready and then helped Cynthia stay calm as a team of experts helped her prepare for the biggest day of her life. Once she was ready, we all gathered in the courtyard and got into the waiting carriages that would take us to the cathedral.

The cathedral was in a nearby city. When we arrived, crowds from all over the country had gathered to see a glimpse of Cynthia. The Ladies of Opportunity went first, followed by visiting royalty, then Cynthia and Daniel's families, and finally Cynthia herself.

The ceremony was long, regal, and beautiful. Cynthia was a vision in a golden dress with an impossibly long train. Daniel looked royal and important in an elaborate dress uniform. Their love was tangible to everyone in attendance, and there were fewer dry eyes than teary ones.

When the ceremony was finally over, they recessed outside to greet the crowd and the guests followed. Juliet, Rita, Lola and I followed behind Oskar and his mother.

As we stepped out into the bright sun, I heard someone yell something, then a loud bang rang out.

There was a moment of silence before cries and screams rose up around us.

"Is it the prince? Cynthia?" asked Juliet in a panic.

"No, it's the captain!" replied Rita, rushing to his side.

I pushed Juliet and Lola aside to see a pool of blood under Oskar. His mother knelt beside him, sobbing and screaming. I dropped down beside Rita and said, "Where is the bullet?"

"Here." She ripped apart his clothes and gestured to his chest. "I don't think it hit his heart, but it's close. Can you get it out?"

My hands shook and my heart was pounding. I took a deep breath. "I can try."

"This bullet has a lot of magic in it," she added worriedly. "Should we remove the bullet or the magic first?"

"Bullet," coughed Oskar, barely conscious.

"Quiet," I demanded. "Hold him still. I'm going to get the bullet out. Rita, try to manage his pain while I work."

I closed my eyes and tried to tune out the screams and shouts surrounding me. I focused on Oskar and the hum of his magic. I searched for the bullet's magic and found it was spreading quickly. I found the source and carefully maneuvered the bullet from his chest. I quickly burned up the magic still contained inside the bullet and then tossed it aside.

"There's a lot of magic in him, and it's still spreading. I'll need your help," I told my friends. Oskar was now unconscious and his breathing was shallow.

Cynthia finally reached us. "They have the attacker restrained. What can I do?"

I gestured to the Dowager Queen of Havaria. "Calm her. Please. We can save him, but we need to concentrate."

She nodded and ushered the woman a few steps away while speaking soothingly to her.

"Hurry," Rita said. "His heart is weak and the magic is strong. He won't last much longer if we don't focus."

I reached for the magic within him and pulled at it. It didn't budge as easily as I had hoped. I frowned and looked to Rita, who was also struggling.

"It's hard to differentiate his magic from the magic of the bullet," Rita said in frustration.

"Who shot him?" I asked Cynthia.

She shook her head. "They don't know. He isn't a magic user."

"Where did he get this magic bullet from, then?!" I cried out.

Daniel rushed up, panting. "It was the Lowendry magic user. Before Oskar defeated him, Nikolas put highly concentrated magic on several bullets and instructed the owners of those bullets to find Oskar and kill him in battle. One particular Lowendry officer decided it was his duty to finish that task."

I closed my eyes and tried to keep my tears from escaping. "The reason why we can't differentiate the magic is because it's Oskar's magic."

"What do you mean?" Rita asked.

I opened my eyes and reached for Oskar's face. I brushed his hair aside. "The Lowendry magic user, Nikolas, had taken his magic when they were students. He wasn't that powerful on his own. He stole that magic. So he used it on specific bullets so that Oskar wouldn't have a chance to survive. We can't just take pieces of his magic like this, not when it's in this state."

"What if we treated the magic like any other body part?"

I turned to Rita. "What do you mean?"

"Why not try and heal his magic? We can treat it like it's infected."

I felt my magic rise up in my chest. "You're right. You're a genius, Rita!"

The four of us set to work using our own magical energy to heal the infected magic within Oskar. To my delight, we began to see results immediately. It was hard work, and Lola had to stop after a few minutes. Juliet followed soon after.

Rita and I poured all of our energy into the task. I wasn't as skilled as Rita, but I pressed on.

I focused on Oskar's face. I couldn't let him die. Not before I read his letter. Not before I-

"It's gone!" Rita cried, falling back. "We did it!"

I left my hands on his chest and felt for the magic. It was true. The affected magic was completely healed, but his wound was still open. I was weak and struggling to stay focused, but I had to make sure he was going to make it.

"Eloise, you have to stop! You're too weak. He'll survive. Let it go. We need to rest before we go back to work."

I didn't even register who was speaking. I ignored them and kept going, healing the area around his heart. Something within me knew he had to be healed immediately. I put every last bit of energy I had into healing Oskar. As the skin on his chest closed up, I finally let go and immediately fainted.

When I awoke, I found myself in my room at the Celestial Palace, surrounded by my four friends.

"Eloise!"

I smiled with relief to see them. Their hair was still the same as it had been at the wedding, but they were all wearing different gowns. "Is it still the wedding day?"

Cynthia smiled. "Yes, thank goodness! You were only unconscious for a few hours."

"What happened exactly?"

"Some man yelled out 'Havarian pig' when the captain- wait, I'm sorry, the king of Havaria- and his mother came out of the cathedral, then shot him," Rita explained.

"Why?"

"We haven't heard."

"How is he?"

Cynthia sighed. "He's well as far as anyone can tell, but he hasn't woken up yet. It may be several days."

"That was very good thinking on your part, Eloise," Juliet told me. "It's a miracle that it worked. I was glad that Lola and I could help, since we can't actually _remove_ magic. I'm glad we were all able to heal it."

"I'm glad, too."

"It's a relief to know you're awake now. The king and queen refused to cancel the wedding ball. They allowed us to delay it, though. We need to go down and join them. You must stay here and rest. I know you bounce back quickly, but please give yourself some time."

"Perhaps we should go check on him," Lola offered.

Cynthia shook her head. "His mother won't let anyone visit him yet."

"That's understandable, I suppose."

Juliet smiled and turned to me. "Would you like me to stay with you?"

I shook my head. "No, there's no need. Go have fun. You deserve it after all you did today!"

"If you say so. Get some rest, Eloise."

I wished them good luck and once they were gone, I changed out of my own bloody gown and into something clean. Then I decided to sit down at my desk and write a brief letter to my mother.

As I finished writing, I remembered Oskar's letter still in the desk. I sighed and took it out, finally taking the time to listen to what he had to say.

"Here we go, Oskar. What do you have to say for yourself?"

 _Eloise_

 _Lady Taylor_

 _I don't know how to address this letter. I've written fifteen drafts, all awful._

 _First, I want to apologize for hurting you the way I did. It's unforgivable, but I'll ask for forgiveness anyway. I'm so sorry that I abandoned you. I'm sorry that I left with no explanation about why I had to go. I'm sorry that I left the country without giving you a proper farewell._

 _I never meant for you to find out who I am the way you did. I had wanted to see you first, to make my plea and then give you a ridiculous excuse about how I never wanted to be king, how the letter from my mother completely threw me off. How my emotions and thoughts were mixed up and kept me from thinking straight. I was grieving and going back and forth on what I should do as the heir to the throne. I had just found the greatest joy I had ever known, only to have one of the biggest sorrows of my life crash down on me days later._

 _But even though it's all true, that's not a good enough excuse for how I handled things. I was being somewhat selfish too. I didn't want to give you the chance to tell me no. I was afraid if I told you who I was and asked you to come with me… I never thought you would want to come along. My family is cold and distant. You would have had nobody to talk to but me. You would have resented me; I didn't want you to end up being angry with me for the rest of our lives. I see now that what I did accomplished that anyway._

 _I had so many wonderful plans for our life together. I would have given you everything you wanted. You could do whatever you wanted and be whoever you wanted. If you wanted to become a Scholar, I would have fought their rules by your side. If you wanted to leave society and live on a farm, I would have become a farmer. If you wanted to start your own university for girls and women, I would have been right by your side. I would have built you a house and written you poetry. It would have been_ awful _poetry, but I would have written you poetry._

 _I'm sorry that we will never have that life, but please know that I still love you and will never stop._

 _Oskar_

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 ** _Almost to the end!_ Let me know what you thought. It's 3am and I'm rushing off to a conference with some girl friends, so I may not reply to your reviews right away. Enjoy!**


	39. Chapter 39

I tried hard to keep myself busy after the wedding. Cynthia and Daniel were busy working on a secret project, about which they wouldn't share details. Over the winter, Juliet, Rita, and Lola had been working on setting up permanent hospitals throughout the country, staffed with magic users trained in healing. After the wedding, they returned back to their task. I didn't feel like I was able to fully commit to their cause, so I was on my own to find something to occupy my time. The dowager queen of Havaria would not allow anyone but Daniel to visit her son, which I was embarrassed to admit relieved me. I wasn't ready to see him again and face him after what he did and what had happened to him. I didn't have a clue as to what I would say.

I spent the first two days cleaning and tidying the Celestial library. I restocked the supplies, even though I didn't know if anyone would even be using the room any time soon. Then I wandered the gardens for another two days, studying the flowers and even helping the gardeners- who ended up all being magic users.

On the fifth day after the wedding, I was writing letters at my desk when Cynthia stopped by.

"How are you doing?" she asked me as I folded and sealed my last letter.

"I'm getting a little bored, to tell you the truth."

She nodded. "I'm sure. Are you going to return home soon?"

I sighed. "I've been debating that for the past few days. When I first came, I thought I would eventually go back, but I'm almost dreading the idea of it now. I just don't know what I'd do otherwise. I don't think I can stay here."

"Why not?"

"I have nothing to keep me here. You and Daniel will be moving to the summer palace soon, right? I can't stay here alone. Juliet, Lola, and Rita have their own purpose, not to mention Juliet's engagement and Rita's _impending_ engagement. As much as this place feels like home, it's not where I belong anymore."

She patted a spot beside her on the settee. I collapsed onto the cushion beside her and sighed. She smiled and said, "I actually came here to hopefully dissuade you from going home, but you've made that part easy on me. I have a proposition, Eloise. Daniel and I have been working on something for the past few months, but it's only just been confirmed today. We'll be opening a school for girls- girls with magic. It will primarily be focused on healing, because it's in high demand now. We need instructors, especially women, who can teach these girls to not be afraid of their magic and to show them that women can be more than the future wife of a man."

I pressed my lips together in thought. "That's an incredible idea," I told her. "I love that you're creating those spaces for girls."

Cynthia tilted her head. "What is it? You don't sound excited."

I shrugged. "I'm honored you're asking me, I truly am, but… I don't think I could do that. I don't have the passion for teaching like I used to. Before, it was a way for me to feel needed- and it gave me a purpose beyond looking for a husband. I can't pinpoint why, but it doesn't excite me anymore." I looked over at her, feeling guilty and prepared myself for her disappointment.

She groaned. "Daniel thought you'd say that. I was _adamant_ that he was wrong. He's going to be insufferable now, you know."

"Seriously?"

"Yes! He's the worst know-it-all."

"No, I meant he seriously thought I would decline?"

"Oh. Yes, he did. He never gave me a reason why, though." She stuck out her lower lip in mock defeat. "I can't believe I was wrong! You're my closest friend! Honestly, though, it doesn't really surprise me. There was a part of me that expected this."

I laughed at her reaction. "I'm so glad you're not mad at me. I hate to turn down your offer. If you had asked before the war, I probably would have been thrilled to do that!"

She nodded. We sat quietly for a moment, then she broke the silence. "Daniel saw him this morning." She didn't have to say who.

"How is he?"

"Still unconscious, but his health seems to be fine. Daniel wasn't worried at first, since he saw first-hand how long it took you to wake up after the war, but he's starting to get anxious."

"Is his mother still refusing to allow visitors?"

"Yes. She's worried for him, naturally, and doesn't want anyone to risk his health."

"I see."

She reached over and patted my hand. "You should go talk to her. You need to see him."

I shook my head. "I'm not ready for that."

"Why not?" she asked. "I really think it'll be good for him to have you there."

"I don't see why."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Eloise."

"No. He _left_ me, Cynthia. No explanation. I can't just forget that because he was injured.

"Did you read his letter?"

I frowned. "Yes."

"Did he apologize? Explain himself?"

"Yes, but they were poor excuses. Your husband owes me _several_ explanations, by the way."

She sighed. "I know. He won't tell me anything, either. But does Oskar still love you?"

I blushed. "Yes."

"Do you love him?"

"I don't know."

"Of course you do! How can you not know? Eloise, you risked your life to save him at the cathedral. He would have been fine if you had left him for someone else to fix."

"You don't know that! When I was healing him, I felt like it was important to finish it right then. I don't know why. I don't have any guesses. But he's still unconscious, so I think I was right to do it."

She sighed. "It's obvious that you care for him."

"Well I wasn't going to let him die. He's a king."

"You need to go see him!"

I got up and walked over to the window. "Not today, Cynthia. Please don't push me. I'm not ready for that yet."

She got up and said, "I have to go. At least think about it. Please?"

Once she was gone, I pulled out his letter again and reread it several times over. After the fifth time, I felt a sense of resolve. I stuffed the letter into my pocket and rushed from the room in search of Daniel.

I found him in his personal study, going over paperwork alone.

"Hello, Eloise," he said when I walked in. "What a surprise! Please, sit. I'm just going over this paperwork. Has Cynthia told you about our project?"

"Yes, we spoke not too long ago."

"Did she ask you about her offer?"

"She did. I said no."

He nodded. "I thought as much."

"Listen, I'm not here to chat idly."

He leaned back in his chair. "I'm listening."

I sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"About the school?"

"About Oskar."

"Oh." He ran a hand over his face. "I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell Cynthia, because I knew she would tell you. Oskar threatened to withdraw from any political alliances Havaria has with Rybeth. He does not give empty threats. He would have followed through."

"Why did he keep that from me?"

"You have to know two things, Eloise. The first being that Oskar never wanted to be king. He went away to school, distanced himself from the monarchy. He didn't officially withdraw himself, but he fully intended to refuse the crown when his father died. His father was young and he had several cousins, much younger than he, that would have been good successors when that occasion arose. Oskar didn't expect to deal with this for at least fifteen more years. However, his father died unexpectedly and he was left with a difficult decision. His cousins are too young and his uncle is not trustworthy. He had no choice but to put his country before his desires.

"Second, Havaria is a much more rigidly traditional country and they do not put a lot of value in emotions, especially for men. They rarely talk about or show their emotions. He had a hard time processing what he was feeling about you, his father, and his duties." He paused, then leaned forward again and propped his elbows on his desk. "You need to know that I don't agree with what he did, but I am doing my best to explain. None of this excuses his behavior, but it might help you understand his reasoning."

"Go on."

He nodded. "We argued about it a great deal those first couple of days. He had so many different emotions and fears. He wasn't thinking clearly. Each time we talked about it, he had some new irrational fear. I couldn't talk him out of them." He took a deep breath and began to list them out for me. "He was afraid you would be angry at him for keeping it a secret in the first place. He knew you didn't want to marry me, so he assumed that meant you wouldn't want to marry him and become Queen of Havaria. The Havarian monarchs rule fairly equally, so it would require a lot of work on your part. He didn't think you'd want that. He thought that even if you did want to marry him still that you would be unhappy in Havaria. You have now seen and met his mother. She's not a cruel or uncaring woman, but she isn't an affectionate or warm person, either. He was afraid you would miss your own mother."

"Did he know I would be here?"

"I didn't tell him. He probably guessed." He winced. "I'm sorry I let you find out the way that you did. I regret doing that to you. I needed him to see you as soon as possible. I wasn't going to play interference and hide it from you even longer. He was pretty upset with me, too. To his credit, he knows what he did was wrong. He misses you deeply, Eloise."

I took a shaky breath. "I can't forgive him, Daniel. Not yet, at least."

"You should go see him."

I rolled my eyes. "Why?"

"It would be good for you."

"How, exactly?"

"You need to confront him. What better time is there than when you don't actually have to talk to him? It'll make it easier on you for when you do finally speak to him."

"I don't _want_ to speak to him."

"Eloise, you need to talk to him. You both need to resolve everything that's happened between you." He sighed and stood up.

"Come on, let's go see him. I'll stay with you."

"I can't."

 _"Eloise."_

I stood up and huffed at him. "Fine. I won't stay long."

We made our way to the other side of the castle and stopped in front of a set of ornate double doors. He nodded his head politely at the guard standing watch. "Lady Taylor and I would like to see the dowager queen, please."

He nodded and opened the door to let us in. The room was incredible. It was well-lit and exquisitely decorated. A footman waited just inside the door and went to announce our arrival.

The dowager queen emerged from a secondary room and smiled at us. "Your Highness. Lady Taylor. A pleasure." He bowed, I curtsied, and we greeted her in return. She sat down and gestured to a set of chairs. "Please, sit. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Daniel and I remained standing. "Your Majesty, I won't waste your time. I've come to ask if you will allow Lady Taylor here to visit His Majesty with me."

The dowager queen nodded. "Of course she may. She saved his life, after all. I am surprised she has not come by already." She raised an eyebrow at me, then looked back at Daniel. "You may go over. Thank you for stopping by my rooms first."

"Of course, ma'am."

We made our way down the hall to Oskar's rooms. A guard standing by the door let us in wordlessly.

"I really don't think I can do this," I told Daniel as he placed his hand on Oskar's bedroom doorknob.

"Why?" He gave me an inquisitive look.

I shook my head.

"Eloise."

"I just _can't_."

" _Why_ , Eloise?"

I swallowed against the lump in my throat. "I can't see him like that," I whispered.

His face softened. "You do care for him."

My face crumpled. "Of course I do!" I fought hard against the tears that were streaking down my cheeks. "You don't just stop loving someone."

"Then do it for him."

I sniffled. "What do you mean?"

"He needs you, Eloise. Maybe he's waiting for you."

I nodded and took a deep breath. "I need to go in alone."

"Of course."

I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. I waited by the door and just stared at Oskar's still body lying on the bed across the room. My heart ached deeply to see him so vulnerable. I finally worked up the courage to move closer and sat down in a chair beside the bed. I sighed and pulled his letter from my pocket.

"Did you really mean these things?" I asked, studying the letter. "Did you really want these things for us? You would have become a farmer?" I wiped the tears from my eyes. "You could still write me terrible poetry, you know. You could still do a great many things. You need to wake up, Oskar. Havaria needs you and your people need you. Your mother needs you. Daniel needs you."

A sob broke out from within me.

"And I need you."

I sat there for a long while and cried. I waited and prayed for him to wake up, but he remained unconscious. Eventually I composed myself and left the room.

Daniel was waiting for me in the hallway outside.

"Any changes?" he asked hopefully.

I shook my head and began to walk back to my rooms.

He came up beside me. "I'm sorry, Eloise."

"Don't be."

That night I had a dream. It almost felt like a vision at first, but it wasn't like one I had ever had before.

I stood in an unfamiliar garden. Snow-capped mountains rose up in the distance. I looked around at the immaculately kept garden surrounding me. Very few flowers were planted, but it was full of precisely pruned hedges and neatly planted greenery I didn't recognize.

"Eloise?"

I looked up and saw Oskar approaching with an older, handsome man in tow. Before I could reply, he spoke again.

"What are you doing here? How can you be here right now?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

" _You can't be here."_

I looked around again. "Where are we?"

He looked panicked. "This isn't a vision, Eloise! This isn't a dream."

"Then what is it?"

The man beside him spoke up. "Young lady, this is an in-between place."

"An in-between place?"

"You were in an in-between place when you saw your father," Oskar explained. "This is my father."

I felt my heart sink. He couldn't be saying what I thought he was saying. "I don't understand."

"Yes, you do. You shouldn't be here."

I felt panic begin to rise in my chest. "You shouldn't be here, either!"

"I don't belong with you any longer. It's almost my time."

I shook my head. "No!"

He stepped forward and reached out to touch my cheek. "Eloise, you have to go. If you stay here too long, you won't be able to go back."

I woke up with a jolt. I sat up and sobbed. I was still angry with him, but I didn't want him to die. I needed him.

The sun had barely begun to rise, but I knew I wouldn't be able to stay in bed. I quickly got dressed and rushed from my room to the other side of the palace. As I was running down the hall and around a corner, I almost ran right into Madame Trudeau.

She caught my shoulders as I tried to rush past her. "Lady Taylor! What on earth has gotten into you?"

"I have to go see him."

"I assume you mean the King of Havaria?"

"Yes!" I tried pulling away from her, but her grip was tight.

"Come with me, then." She let go and turned around, walking down the hall.

I frowned and followed her. "Where are we going?"

"To see the king. That is what you want, isn't it?"

I stared at her in shock. "Yes, it is."

"Then come along."

We approached Oskar's doors and the guard once again let us in without a word.

"Go on," Madame Trudeau urged. "I will wait here for you."

I nodded and stepped into Oskar's bedroom, shutting the door behind me. He looked exactly the same as he had the day before. I rushed to his side and grabbed his hand. I was relieved to find that he was still breathing and his heart was still beating.

"Oskar, you _cannot_ stay there. You _cannot_ die. Don't you dare." I knelt down beside him, still gripping his hand, and began to cry. "Please, Oskar. _Please_."

I stayed by his side until my tears slowed and dried up. My eyelids grew heavy from crying and I soon fell asleep.

The next thing I knew, I was back in the unfamiliar garden.

"Oskar!" I yelled out.

I didn't get an answer and my heart sank. What if he had moved on already? I called out for him again, running down the gravel path.

"What did I tell you?"

I spun around to see Oskar standing several feet behind me, his father no longer by his side.

"Oskar!" I cried out and ran to him. "Oh, thank goodness!"

"What have you done?" he demanded.

I stopped running and frowned. "What do you mean? Where's your father?"

He looked at me exasperatedly. "Eloise, I'm about to move on! You can't be here. This isn't your time to die. If you stay here, you won't wake up!"

I shook my head. "No! I will not let you die, Oskar. I _cannot_ let you die."

"That isn't up to you!"

"Fine! Then I can't let you die until I say what I need to say."

He groaned. "Make it quick!"

I threw my hands up in the air with frustration. "Oskar, I forgive you."

His face softened suddenly. "What?" he asked quietly.

"I understand your reasoning. You were grieving, not thinking straight. I know I told you that it was unforgivable, but…"

"But what?"

I let out a laugh and began to cry. "But it's easy to forgive the ones you love."

He didn't react right away. He just stared at me and I stared back. "Are you… Do you mean…" His eyes lit up and he tried to suppress a smile "You love me?"

"Yes. Of course I still love you. I never stopped, Oskar."

A sob broke from his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. We just stood there in a tight embrace for a moment. He pulled back and smiled. I reached up and wiped his tears away.

"I love you, Eloise."

I smiled back at him through my tears. "Please, please stay with me."

His eyes went wide with panic. "I want to, Eloise. I want that more than anything. I don't think it's up to me any more. I don't think I can do anything now!"

I gasped. He was starting to fade. "Fight it, Oskar! Fight it!"

He pulled away and looked down at his hands. "No! What do I do, Eloise? What do I do?"

Before I could answer, I was suddenly awake in Oskar's room. I gasped. "No. No!"

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 **Don't hate me, but there's only one more chapter.**

It's been a whirlwind and I love y'all. Thanks for being such fantastic readers. 3


	40. Chapter 40 - The End

I scrambled to my feet and shook his shoulder. "Wake up, Oskar. _Wake up_." I felt for a pulse. His heart was weak, but it was still beating. I tried pouring my magic into him, hoping for it to do _something_ , but it just bounced back to me.

"I cannot watch you die," I sobbed. " _Wake. Up._ "

I leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, then rest my head on his chest. "Oskar. Please." I laid there until I couldn't hear his heart beating anymore.

I could feel my whole world crashing around me. I heaved heavy sobs against his chest. I had tried _so_ hard to save him, but it had all been for nothing. My whole body was numb.

"Eloise?"

I pulled away and looked to the door. Daniel stood there, looking as crushed as I felt.

"Is he…?"

I nodded and jumped up to embrace my friend. "I tried, Daniel. I tried so hard to save him."

He fought hard against the tears in his eyes. He couldn't speak except to say, "Come with me, Eloise."

He took me to Cynthia's private rooms, where she was quick to comfort me and hold me tight. Daniel left us to go inform Oskar's mother about what happened to her son. I was grateful I didn't have to do it.

I stayed with Cynthia for hours, refusing to speak to anyone else, even Daniel. She tried getting me to eat, but I couldn't imagine being able to keep anything down.

Eventually I fell asleep on her settee. As I slept, I dreamed of my mother and father, of the farm and even Tess. I saw Patrick Moore, then Matilda and Margaret, my morning helpers.

Then it all faded away and my grandmother appeared. She was sitting in a chair and knitting in a large, ornately decorated room. She put down her knitting and smiled, then spoke to me in Havarian. "My darling Eloise! How I've missed you. You've grown into a beautiful young lady."

I sat down at her feet like I used to as a child and laid my head in her lap.

"Sweet girl, what's wrong? You look sad."

"I lost the love of my life, Grandmother."

She stroked my hair. "You never truly lose the people you love."

"That doesn't bring him back. He's still gone."

She clicked her tongue. "You will survive this, my dear. You'll see."

"How can you know that?" I lifted my head to look up at her.

"Where do you think your magic comes from?" She tilted her head knowingly.

"You have sight magic?" I asked.

"Indeed, I do."

"Can you tell me what will happen next?"

She chuckled softly. "You know very well that it doesn't work that way."

I didn't respond. I felt hopeless, unable to process what was going on.

"Is this a vision?"

"Oh, no. No, my dear."

"A dream, then?"

She sighed. "You can call it a dream. There's not really a term for this. You don't need sight magic- or any magic- to be visited by a loved one in your dreams."

"So this is real?"

"In a sense."

"Can I see him?"

She smiled. "You can't control who you see in your dreams. I can't control it either."

My chest felt empty. "I wish I had been able to say goodbye."

"You told him how you felt, didn't you? That's better than not getting to tell him at all."

I nodded. "I know you're right, but that doesn't make the pain any better."

I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew, I was awake in Cynthia's rooms. I looked around and found an empty room.

"Cynthia?" I called out. She didn't answer, so I left the room, taking the long way back down to the main floor to avoid Oskar's rooms.

I made my way down to the gardens and strolled along slowly until I found a secluded area of the west garden. I sat down in the grass, tucked away against a fragrant, blooming bush. I plucked a yellow flower from its branches and began to pick the petals off slowly, one by one. As the second to last petal fell to the ground, I hear someone call my name in the distance. I sighed, tossed the nearly bare flower to the ground, and got up. I walked towards the voice and found Cynthia looking around worriedly.

"Oh, thank goodness! I wasn't sure where you had gone!"

I gave her a weak smile. "I just needed some air."

"You need some food. Come on, let's go get you some berries at least."

I nodded and she linked her arm with mine. She led me back to her rooms, where a light lunch had been prepared for us. I sat down and nibbled on a piece of bread, still not feeling able to truly eat.

"Eloise, can I do anything for you?" she asked softly.

I shook my head. "No."

After the trays had been cleared, we moved back to the plush chairs and settee. We cried together some more while Cynthia held me tightly and comforted me as I let the pain wash over me again.

As the clock struck three, the doors flung open and Daniel stood in the door, breathless.

"Eloise, come with me. Now."

I frowned. "Why?"

" _Now,_ Eloise."

Cynthia and I got up and followed Daniel down the hall in confusion. As we grew closer to Oskar's doors, they burst open.

I thought I was dreaming again. Oskar stepped out into the hallway, disheveled and looking panicked. Then he turned and caught sight of me. His face lit up and he ran over.

I felt sick. I didn't understand what was happening. I felt his heart stop beating hours before. I must have fallen asleep on the settee again.

Cynthia and Daniel stepped back as Oskar came and wrapped his arms around me, picking me up and twirling me around.

" _My love,"_ he murmured into my hair.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't react. My whole body was shaking. Suddenly, I couldn't handle his closeness and pushed him away from me. My chest felt tight and I struggled to breathe normally. "What is going on?" I demanded. I felt sick, unable to process my emotions.

He looked confused and hurt. "What do you mean?"

Daniel spoke up. "He just woke up an hour ago. I only found out just now, that's why I came to get you. His heart started beating again not long after I fetched his mother, apparently."

I covered my mouth to stifle the sobs that began to burst from my chest. I rushed back into his arms and pressed my lips against his, not caring that Daniel, Cynthia, and several guards were watching.

" _You saved me, Eloise,"_ he said, resting his forehead on mine.

"What? How?"

" _You were suddenly gone and my father appeared. He said something similar to what your father did. I had a tether to the living world still._ You _were my connection, just as I was yours."_

I pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. "Why didn't someone come get me?" I asked.

"My mother didn't know about everything between us," he said apologetically. "She didn't know that you should have been informed. When I found out that you thought I was dead, I had to find you myself."

I suddenly felt self-conscious about our close proximity. I pulled away and looked around. Daniel and Cynthia had excused themselves and were at the far end of the hall, and the guards standing in front of the Havarians' rooms had turned away.

Oskar's mother then appeared in his doorway.

" _Is there something you need to tell me?"_ she asked.

Oskar turned to face her. _"One moment, Mother."_ He turned away before she could respond and grasped my hands.

"Eloise, I cannot be away from you for another moment. Marry me?"

"Of course!" I cried, squeezing his hands. "How could I say no?"

He kissed me lightly and turned back to his mother. "I will be marrying Lady Taylor, Mother. There will be no discussion about it."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Lady Taylor, would you excuse us for a moment? I need to speak with my son."

"I am not letting her go anywhere," Oskar argued, standing firm. "I said there will be no discussion."

I placed a hand on his arm. "Don't be silly, you should speak with your mother. I will be down in the gardens."

I curtsied to his mother and made my way down to the gardens. As I stepped outside, I found Cynthia and Daniel talking in hushed voices.

Cynthia brightened at my appearance. "Eloise! Where is your king?" she asked teasingly.

I shrugged. "His mother wanted to speak with him."

"Is something wrong?" Daniel asked, his brow furrowed.

I shook my head, unable to suppress my joy. "The very opposite, actually. He's alive! He wants to marry me!"

Cynthia squealed excitedly and wrapped me in an embrace. "Oh, I'm so happy for you! Can you believe it? You're going to be Queen of Havaria!"

"I know! It's absolutely baffling. I never, ever would have thought I would leave Ravendale, let alone Rybeth!"

"I'm going to go find Oskar and... congratulate him," Daniel said, his brow still furrowed. "You two take a stroll."

We waved him off and began to walk down the gravel paths of the gardens.

"You don't think I need to worry, do you?" I asked Cynthia.

"Why on earth would you need to worry?"

"When I mentioned Oskar's mother, Daniel seemed concerned. He didn't congratulate me and suddenly ran off... It's strange behavior for him."

She linked her arm with mine. "Don't be silly. There is nothing that would keep that man from you. He's King of Havaria, not even his mother can tell him what to do."

I smiled, feeling the familiar comfort of her reassuring magic. "You're right, of course. As always."

"So tell me what happened between you. I missed something. When we talked about him yesterday, you were adamant that you wouldn't even visit him."

I explained to her everything that went on over the past twenty-four hours. I explained how I had still been in love with him, despite how angry I had been. I told her about the conversation Daniel and I had, how he pushed me to visit Oskar. Then I recounted my strange visions, for lack of a proper term, of the garden in Oskar's in-between place.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," she said once I had finished. "I'm glad it ended happily, though."

I grinned. "I am, too."

As we circled back towards the palace, Oskar came running over. He beamed at the sight of me. _"My love,"_ he said.

I blushed and smiled at him.

"I'll leave you two alone. I believe Daniel and I have some paperwork to sign. We'll see you at dinner," she said.

Oskar didn't even wait for her to get out of earshot. He wrapped me up in his arms and kissed me deeply.

" _I feel like I could write poetry for you,"_ he said with a laugh. _"I never imagined I could feel such joy."_

I grinned. _"I feel the same way."_

He pulled a small box from his pocket. _"This was my grandmother's. I thought you might like it."_ Inside the box was a beautiful ring. He took it out and slipped it on my hand. _"We will have a beautiful life together."_

" _The best life,"_ I agreed.

Two months after Oskar proposed, I arrived in Havaria. The first couple months in my new home were a whirlwind of emotions and new experiences. I was homesick but in love; it was a strange dichotomy of emotions. Starting the first week after my arrival, I was thrust into the busy life of a Havarian socialite. At my very first social event, I met my distant Havarian cousins, aunts, and uncles. I quickly discovered that my grandmother had been the daughter of a duke, but ran off with a visiting merchant- my grandfather. The Hummel family was still very close to the Keller monarchy, and they assured me that we would be seeing quite a lot of each other.

Oskar was the only son, but not the only child of the Havarian crown. He had four younger sisters: Maria, Lottie, Willa, and Louisa. Maria, who was just a year younger than me, must have taken after her grandmother, because she loved poetry and the arts. Lottie and Willa were inseparable at thirteen and fourteen, but took more after their brother than their eldest sister. They were quite cautious around me and very serious. Louisa was still young, only ten, and kept to herself mostly. She was a very quiet and reserved young girl.

Maria and I formed a bond quite quickly and became close friends. She helped me assimilate into my new Havarian life and I helped her learn Rybethian. I was very excited to make a new friend. Oskar's mother was very helpful in teaching me Havarian customs and traditions. She introduced me to Havarian dishes and taught me how to make a traditional cup of Havarian tea. Although she was decidedly unaffectionate, she was a pleasant enough woman to be around. We got along well and I was grateful for her wisdom.

Oskar was constantly busy and hardly had time for me. I didn't mind it, though. He was king, after all, and had important duties to attend to. Besides, he assured me that once we were married, I would be joining him in everything. "The Havarian monarchy is more equal than most," he told me one day. "Our queens are always allowed by the king's side, and their input is always taken into consideration, and taken seriously. The king may be the primary leader of the country, but the queen is more than just a pretty face. Rybeth is very similar in that way."

Cynthia and I wrote as much as we could, but it took a long time for mail to go back and forth between our two countries. I occasionally had a vision of her and Daniel in important meetings or talking about their new school over dinner.

Our wedding was set for the spring. Maria and I spent most of the winter making decisions about my gown, flowers, and wedding ball. We decided to go with utilizing the colors of the flags from both Rybeth and Havaria, to signify the unity between our countries. Rybeth's flag was blue, red, and yellow. Havaria's flag had blue, green, and white. The flowers used throughout the ceremony and ball would be yellow, and white, while my dress would be green and blue. I chose to coordinate it with the jewelry from my mother, which ended up being my grandmother's jewelry, originally from Havaria.

After Havaria's long, seemingly endless winter, my mother and Mr. Towne arrived, as well as Cynthia and Daniel. Cynthia, who was to assist me on my wedding day, kept me sane and calm during the last month before the wedding. She took walks with me in the garden, kept me occupied while Oskar was busy, and helped me memorize the names and basic facts of the wedding guests.

The wedding day was perfect. The sun shone brightly as if to congratulate us itself, while the sky was dotted with a few light, airy clouds. The temperature was just right with a slight crisp in the air at sunrise. Cynthia encouraged me to wake up early with her so I could get some quiet, solitary time to relax before the day got too hectic. I was glad she suggested it, because I didn't get a moment of rest for the remainder of the day.

All morning I was surrounded by a team of people fixing my hair, powdering my face, and making me look like absolute perfection. I wasn't just getting married, after all. I would be crowned Queen of Havaria as well. I was given a small amount of fruit throughout the morning, which Cynthia encouraged me to eat, despite the fact that my nerves made all food sound unappetizing. After noon, my dress was delivered. It took a team of several women to get me dressed. Once I was fitted properly into my gown, I was whisked away to a carriage to take me to the ceremony.

Havaria's large, national cathedral towered over the center of the city. Thousands of people filled every street, alley, and window with the hope of catching a glimpse of their soon-to-be queen. I waved politely at them as Cynthia and I rolled down the cobbled streets.

We pulled up to the cathedral. A footman helped us get down from the carriage and we made our way up the steps to the massive, gilded wooden doors of the cathedral. They opened up into a large atrium of sorts, where Rita, Lola, and Juliet were waiting.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked, startled to see them.

Rita grinned. "Come with us."

"But-"

Cynthia pressed a hand against my back, urging me to follow. I cautiously did, putting my faith in my closest friend.

They led me to a small room off to the left, which turned out to be a small chapel. Inside, Oskar stood at the front of the room with a man I didn't recognize, while my mother and Mr. Towne sat in chairs. They stood when I entered.

I looked at everyone around me with confusion. _"What's going on?"_ I asked Oskar in Havarian, slightly panicked. _"Isn't it bad luck for you to see me before the ceremony?"_

He grinned and it helped ease my nerves slightly. "Come here," he urged, speaking in my native tongue.

I made my way forward and stood beside him. "What are we doing in here?"

"I know how nervous you've been about this. You've hid it well, but I know you. I know you had never, in your wildest dreams- or nightmares- expected to end up being a queen of another country. I secretly planned this with your mother. If you'd like, I'd like to marry you in a traditional Rybethian ceremony before the royal ceremony and coronation." I began to cry, which made him panic. "We don't have to, I just-"

"Oskar, you are the most amazing man I've ever known."

He flushed red and beamed. "I asked a priest from Rybeth to come, and only told your mother, Mr. Towne, and your friends. Even my mother and sisters don't know about this. This is just for us. For you."

"This is wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better gift. Thank you."

My mother gave her blessing to the priest and the ceremony began. It was short and sweet, and full of immense joy. The ceremony ended after we had pledged our loyalty and love to each other.

"I now declare you husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Oskar Keller."

* * *

 ** _THE END_**

* * *

 **I'm seriously crying over the fact that this story has ended. I tried _hard_ to find a way to continue, but this felt like the best place to end it. Actually, I originally had it ending seven or eight chapters ago. I'm glad I found a way to extend it some.**

 **I want to thank each and every one of you who took the time to read my story. I am honored that you found my writing interesting enough to read forty chapters' worth of words, strung together to make Eloise's story. So thank you. Thank you so much for your support, even if you never reviewed. The fact that you simply added this to your story alerts made it worth my while.  
**

 **For now, I have no other stories in the works. I'm thinking about it. I don't want to rush into anything. I may look over my old stories and rewrite those. Who knows?! I'll figure it out.**

Lots of love,

Em. 3


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